Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Video - Nigerians celebrate President elect Muhammadu Buhari's win
Nigerian opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari has won the country's presidential election as the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan apparently conceded defeat.
Nigeria President elect Muhammadu Buhari praises Jonathan for peaceful handover
Nigerian election winner Muhammadu Buhari congratulated outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan for peacefully relinquishing power on Wednesday, a day after becoming the first politician in Nigeria's history to unseat a sitting leader at the ballot box.
In an unprecedented step, Jonathan phoned Buhari to concede defeat and urged his supporters to accept the result, a signal of deepening democracy in Africa's most populous nation that few had expected.
"President Jonathan was a worthy opponent and I extend the hand of fellowship to him," Buhari, wearing a black cap and kaftan, told reporters and supporters to loud applause.
"We have proven to the world that we are people who have embraced democracy. We have put one-party state behind us."
The 72-year-old general, who first came to power three decades ago via a military coup, campaigned as a born-again democrat intent on cleaning up Nigeria's corrupt politics.
The margin of victory - Buhari took 15.4 million votes to Jonathan's 13.3 million - was enough to prevent any challenge.
Nigeria's main stock index soared 6.7 percent, posting its single biggest gain this year, and Nigerian dollar-denominated bonds also climbed amid relief at the absence of the violence that has blighted previous elections.
Investors are also cautiously optimistic that any crackdown on leakage and corruption by Buhari will stimulate investment and boost flagging growth in Africa's biggest economy.
The rules state that Jonathan must officially hand over on May 29.
His People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been in charge since the end of army rule in 1999 but had been losing support due to several oil sector corruption scandals and the government's performance in combating Islamist Boko Haram militants in the northeast.
"You voted for change and now change has come," Buhari said.
Cities in the largely Muslim north, where Buhari's core support base lies, erupted in celebration.
Jonathan's appeal to his supporters that "nobody's political ambition is worth blood" meanwhile helped calm their frustrations, reducing the chance of post-election violence that blighted the 2011 poll.
Despite the killing of more than a dozen voters by Boko Haram gunmen - who had pledge to derail the poll - the election was one of the most orderly in the country's history.
Buhari took power in a 1983 coup only to be thrown out 18 months later by another general. He subsequently embraced democracy, running in several elections and despite losing always bounced back.
He acknowledged the hard work ahead in building bridges.
"I asked that we all be circumspect, respectful and peaceful ... We must begin to heal the wounds," he said.
Oil-rich Nigeria remains a complex ethnic mix of 170 million people speaking more than 500 languages, split between Muslims and Christians. Though they mostly live side by side in peace, many harbor disputes that politicians have often used to stoke violence that has worsened over the years.
As well as the Boko Haram insurgency Buhari must deal with the fallout from a dive in global oil prices in the last eight months which has hammered squeezed state revenues and forced two de facto currency devaluations.
Reuters
In an unprecedented step, Jonathan phoned Buhari to concede defeat and urged his supporters to accept the result, a signal of deepening democracy in Africa's most populous nation that few had expected.
"President Jonathan was a worthy opponent and I extend the hand of fellowship to him," Buhari, wearing a black cap and kaftan, told reporters and supporters to loud applause.
"We have proven to the world that we are people who have embraced democracy. We have put one-party state behind us."
The 72-year-old general, who first came to power three decades ago via a military coup, campaigned as a born-again democrat intent on cleaning up Nigeria's corrupt politics.
The margin of victory - Buhari took 15.4 million votes to Jonathan's 13.3 million - was enough to prevent any challenge.
Nigeria's main stock index soared 6.7 percent, posting its single biggest gain this year, and Nigerian dollar-denominated bonds also climbed amid relief at the absence of the violence that has blighted previous elections.
Investors are also cautiously optimistic that any crackdown on leakage and corruption by Buhari will stimulate investment and boost flagging growth in Africa's biggest economy.
The rules state that Jonathan must officially hand over on May 29.
His People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been in charge since the end of army rule in 1999 but had been losing support due to several oil sector corruption scandals and the government's performance in combating Islamist Boko Haram militants in the northeast.
"You voted for change and now change has come," Buhari said.
Cities in the largely Muslim north, where Buhari's core support base lies, erupted in celebration.
Jonathan's appeal to his supporters that "nobody's political ambition is worth blood" meanwhile helped calm their frustrations, reducing the chance of post-election violence that blighted the 2011 poll.
Despite the killing of more than a dozen voters by Boko Haram gunmen - who had pledge to derail the poll - the election was one of the most orderly in the country's history.
Buhari took power in a 1983 coup only to be thrown out 18 months later by another general. He subsequently embraced democracy, running in several elections and despite losing always bounced back.
He acknowledged the hard work ahead in building bridges.
"I asked that we all be circumspect, respectful and peaceful ... We must begin to heal the wounds," he said.
Oil-rich Nigeria remains a complex ethnic mix of 170 million people speaking more than 500 languages, split between Muslims and Christians. Though they mostly live side by side in peace, many harbor disputes that politicians have often used to stoke violence that has worsened over the years.
As well as the Boko Haram insurgency Buhari must deal with the fallout from a dive in global oil prices in the last eight months which has hammered squeezed state revenues and forced two de facto currency devaluations.
Reuters
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Muhammadu Buhari wins Nigeria's presidential election
His opponent, Goodluck Jonathan, has conceded defeat and called Gen Buhari to congratulate him on his victory.
Gen Buhari was ahead of Mr Jonathan by at least three million votes.
Observers have generally praised the election but there have been allegations of fraud, which some fear could lead to protests and violence.
This is a hugely significant moment in Nigeria's history - never before has a sitting president lost an election, the BBC's Will Ross reports from Abuja.
For the first time, many Nigerians feel they have the power to vote out a government that is not performing well, our correspondent adds.
BBC
Video - Nigerians waiting for presidential election results
Nigerians have been urged to be patient for the past three days. And when the election result finally comes, to accept it - peacefully. Many though are anxious - about what the next few hours may bring.
Muhammadu Buhari taking the lead in Presidential election results
Partial results from Nigeria's election give ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari a narrow lead over the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.
With more than half of Nigeria's 36 states declared, Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) is ahead by half a million votes.
A victory for Gen Buhari would make President Jonathan the first incumbent to lose an election in Nigeria.
Correspondents say it is likely the loser will allege foul play.
More than 800 people were killed in protests after Mr Jonathan beat Gen Buhari in the previous election.
Gen Buhari's lead was cut from two million votes, after Mr Jonathan gained a landslide in Rivers State, where there have been widespread reports of irregularities and a curfew imposed.
Electoral commission (Inec) chairman, Attahiru Jega, said the fact-finding team sent to the state found there were some voting irregularities with the poll but not enough "to warrant a cancellation of the election".
However, many of the states still to declare are in the north, where Gen Buhari is seen as favourite.
Earlier, the announcement of results was disrupted when an agent of Mr Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) launched a tirade against Mr Jega in Abuja.
"We have lost confidence in what you're doing, we don't believe in you any more," Elder Orubebe said.
Rejecting the allegation, Mr Jega replied: "Let us be careful about what we say or do and let us not dispute a process that has begun peacefully."
Gen Buhari has won the two biggest states, Lagos in the south and Kano in the north, while Mr Jonathan won a huge majority in his home state of Bayelsa, as well as Rivers.
The candidate with the most votes will only avoid a run-off if they gain at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states.
BBC
With more than half of Nigeria's 36 states declared, Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) is ahead by half a million votes.
A victory for Gen Buhari would make President Jonathan the first incumbent to lose an election in Nigeria.
Correspondents say it is likely the loser will allege foul play.
More than 800 people were killed in protests after Mr Jonathan beat Gen Buhari in the previous election.
Gen Buhari's lead was cut from two million votes, after Mr Jonathan gained a landslide in Rivers State, where there have been widespread reports of irregularities and a curfew imposed.
Electoral commission (Inec) chairman, Attahiru Jega, said the fact-finding team sent to the state found there were some voting irregularities with the poll but not enough "to warrant a cancellation of the election".
However, many of the states still to declare are in the north, where Gen Buhari is seen as favourite.
Earlier, the announcement of results was disrupted when an agent of Mr Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) launched a tirade against Mr Jega in Abuja.
"We have lost confidence in what you're doing, we don't believe in you any more," Elder Orubebe said.
Rejecting the allegation, Mr Jega replied: "Let us be careful about what we say or do and let us not dispute a process that has begun peacefully."
Gen Buhari has won the two biggest states, Lagos in the south and Kano in the north, while Mr Jonathan won a huge majority in his home state of Bayelsa, as well as Rivers.
The candidate with the most votes will only avoid a run-off if they gain at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states.
BBC
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