Former President Jonathan placed his love for Nigeria above his personal ambition - President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has again acknowledged the role his core opponent, former President Goodluck Jonathan played in ensuring a smooth and peaceful transition, during the 2015 general elections, saying both of them treated the elections not as a do-or-die.

Buhari spoke yesterday at an award ceremony, organised by Leadership Newspapers in Abuja, where he, alongside Jonathan and erstwhile Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, were jointly awarded the medium’s Persons of the Year Award.

Despite the absence of Jonathan, who was represented by former Minister, Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki at the event, President Buhari commended the courage of his predecessor for being a statesman.
The president explained that rather than been blindfolded by the need to win the election, the two of them put the survival of the country and wellbeing of Nigerians above their personal ambition.

“Those of us who were participating actors in the elections were led by the higher ideals of the future of our great country and the well being of our people, rather than the mere desire of politicians to win elections.

“It is therefore our commitment to these ideals, the patriotic zeal of President Jonathan, the participating of the electoral umpire, INEC, and the exemplary conduct of the political parties, foreign pressure and other actors that we collectively disappointed the prophets of doom who had predicted the disintegration of the country, after the 2015 general elections,” he added.

The president described the events of 2015 elections as “a watershed in the political history of our country”.

According to him, the award from the media house was “yet another public acknowledgment of our various roles and concrete visions towards the national rebirth and development of democracy in the country.”
Buhari promised to rededicate himself to the service of the country, urging other award recipients to follow suit.

“We are humbled by this honour, which should inspire us to redouble our commitment to the progress of democracy and development of the country,” he said.

In his welcome address, Chairman, Leadership Group of Newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, recalled how Jonathan repudiated all pressures and temptations not to concede victory to Buhari, choosing, instead, to avert possible bloodbath.

According to Nda-Isaiah, Jonathan told those prodding him “that if he didn’t concede, 10,000 Nigerians would die by the end of that day”.
The publisher recalled that the outcome of the election and the way the major actors handled it, betrayed apprehension over bloody reaction to the polls.

He said though the elections went well, some elements within President Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came up with many plans to halt the process, including stopping Jonathan from accepting defeat.
“President Goodluck Jonathan told then Senator-elect Ben Bruce and other party faithful who saw him that Monday morning that he would be conceding. Some of the party faithful didn’t understand what he meant because that had never happened before. He went on to say that if he didn’t concede, 10,000 Nigerians would die by the end of that day.

“Ben Bruce encouraged him. Others who played major roles in encouraging him included Governor Sariake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Ita Ekpenyong, the then DSS DG and Osita Chidoka, the then Minister of Aviation and a handful of others. These people had to battle the criminals who wanted Jonathan to rig the election, no matter how many people would die as a result.

“By 5pm on that day, President Jonathan had called the then candidate Buhari to concede, thus becoming the only presidential candidate in Nigeria’s history that lost an election and won at the same time. He won by simply doing what had never been done before. And by that, he changed Nigeria and set the standard for future elections,” Nda-Isaiah explained.

Aside Buhari, Jonathan and Jega, others who were conferred with awards at the ceremony include Governor of Gombe state, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Corps Marshall, Federal Roads Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi, among other corporate bodies and individuals.