At exactly 5:15pm this evening President
Jonathan called to congratulate me on my
victory. For this I want all Nigerians to
join me in congratulating and appreciating
Mr President for his statesmanship.
President Jonathan engaged in a spirited
campaign and was a worthy opponent. I
extend my hand of fellowship to him. I
look forward to meeting him soon as we
plan the transition from one
administration to another. He will receive
nothing but understanding, cooperation
and respect from me and my team.
The good people of Nigeria, answered the
call of history. When the account of this
fine moment is written, it will be said that
it was the people themselves who led this
nation to democracy.
You stood in line patiently for hours in the
sun, rain and then in the dark to cast
your ballots. Even when the vote was
extended to Sunday in some places, you
still performed your civic duty. You did so
peacefully. You voted with your heart.
Your vote affirms that you believe
Nigeria’s future can be better than what it
is today.
You voted for change and now change
has come.
INEC has released the official results of
the Presidential election. INEC has
declared that I gained the most votes with
the required spread and thus won this
election. In a more profound way, it is
you, Nigerians that have won. The people
have shown their love for our nation and
their belief in democracy.
The declaration of INEC accurately
reflects the will of the people. Whilethere
might have been some logistical obstacles
and irregularities associated with the
exercise, the result shall stand as what
the people want.
I thank all Nigerians who have made this
day possible. Our country has now joined
the community of nations that have used
the ballot box to peacefully change an
incumbent President in a free and fair
election. To me this is indeed historic.
Most people will welcome the result
because it is the one they voted for.
Others will naturally be disappointed. I
ask that we all be circumspect, respectful
and peaceful in these times.
This was a hard- fought contest.
Emotions are high. We must not allow
them to get the better of us. This is not
the time for confrontation. This is a
moment that we must begin to heal the
wounds and work toward a better future.
We do this first by extending a hand of
friendship and conciliation across the
political divide. We hope and pray our
friends in other parties reciprocate.
I thank all the members of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, for their
commitment and their hard work through
the formation of the party, the campaigns
and the Presidential elections. Let me
equally extend my appreciation to the
MEDIA, Civil Society and the Security
agencies for their selfless service.
The International press and our friends
abroad deserve special commendation for
their support throughout the process. We
promise a robust and dynamic
engagement with your countries in
matters of mutual interest to nations.
In the interim, I call on all Nigerians to be
law abiding and peaceful. The eyes of the
world were focused on us to see if we
could vote in a peaceful way and carry
out a representative election in an orderly
manner. You have proven to the world
that we are a people who have embraced
democracy and a people who seek a of
government by, for and of the people.
We have put one party state behind us.
You have voted for a party and president
that will serve and govern but never rule
over you. Change has come. A new day
and a new Nigeria are upon us. The
victory is yours and the glory is that of
our nation – Nigeria
I will make a more formal address to the
nation tomorrow after receiving the
certificate of return from INEC.
May God Bless the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR,
President Elect,
Federal Republic of Nigeria