Buhari urges peaceful celebrations, warns against attacks on PDP

The candidate of the APC in the just-concluded elections, Muhammadu Buhari, has issued an interim message of thanks and gratitude to Nigerians for choosing him and his party over and above the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, the incumbent President, President Jonathan Goodluck.

The party declared victory after Mr. Jonathan called Mr. Buhari at 5:15pm to make a concession and congratulate the winner.

A statement issued Tuesday evening by the Director Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Garba Shehu, said the mood of the country as well as its current state did not warrant the type of wild celebrations reportedly going on in some cities across the country.

Mr. Buhari said anybody happy with the victory of the APC in the presidential election will not be involved in the molestation of opponents or the destruction of their property.
“He or she is not with me, whoever does that,” Mr. Buhari said.

He is due to make a major acceptance speech in the coming hours.

Fayose praises Buhari, urges Nigerians to accept election results

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has urged Nigerians to accept the outcome of Saturday’s presidential election in good faith, saying; “the election result is the will of God and Nigerians, and all lovers of peace, progress and development of Nigeria must accept it”.

Mr. Fayose, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, hailed the resilience and commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan and Mohammadu Buhari.

The governor said the election results should not been seen as victory or loss for any political party, adding that, “To me, Nigerians and democracy won.”

He praised Nigerians for believing in the democratic process, adding that “by this election, Nigerians have shown that Democracy has come to stay in the country”.
The governor said, “I salute Nigerians, especially the great people of Ekiti State.

“I salute President Jonathan for laying the most solid foundation for democracy in Nigeria. And I salute Major General Buhari for being a resilience and dogged fighter.
“I urge Nigerians, irrespective of their ethic, religious and political affiliation to respect the outcome of the election in the interest of peace, progress and development of the country.

“Nigeria as a country is greater than any individual or group and it is my plea that no one should do anything to rock the boat of peace in the country.”

CAN Tells INEC What To Do Before Declaring Poll Winners

As tension brews across the country while Nigerians await the announcement of the winner of the Saturday, March 28, presidential and House of Assembly elections, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) what must be done before declaring the winners of the polls. 

The North East Zone CAN Chairman, Rev. Shuaibu Byel, who spoke with a Vanguard correspondent on Sunday in Bauchi, advised the INEC that adequate security measures should be put in place in volatile areas across the country before announcing the election results.


According to him, the measure would help in avoiding post-election violence, especially with regard to the outcome of the presidential election.

“Past experience clearly showed that post-election violence erupted immediately the result was announced, particularly the presidential election result. That was what happened in 2011. We should learn from past experience,” he said.

The clergyman commended the INEC for conducting a peaceful and successful election, with just minor glitches caused by the malfunctioning Smart Card Readers in some areas.
Byel also commended the electorate for coming out en masse and being patient with officials of the electoral umpire during the exercise as they perform their civic right.

The CAN chairman said it is a clear indication that Nigeria’s democracy has come to stay and is gradually growing to maturity.

“The process was generally peaceful, people turned out en-masse, like never before in the history of elections in this country, usually characterised with apathy,” he said.
Byel pleaded with politicians and the electorate to embrace the outcome of the election in good faith and accept it as the will of God.

“Contestants and the supporters should embrace the spirit of sportsmanship. Anyone who loses should accept the outcome and try again another time. The person that won should return God’s favour by being a good leader and a true representative of the people,” Byel said.

Nigerians came out en masse to exercise their civic responsibility on Saturday, March 28. The elections according to several international and local observers were free, credible and mostly peaceful, although there were a few cases of tragedy in some parts of the country.
In Gombe state, some INEC officials and a police officer were ambushed and killed by a yet to be identified gunmen before the commencement of the election in the area.

But these apprehensions are not far fetched following the recent call from the APC, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the entire results of the 2015 presidential election and National Assembly elections in Enugu and Akwa-Ibom states.

Despite the fears expressed by the Christian association, the presidency had earlier on Sunday urged supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan against panic over some “fake results” of Saturday’s presidential elections allegedly being released by an opposition party.

Children allowed to vote in the elections

Why Jega Refused To Cancel Rivers Election

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega on Monday, refused to cancel the polls in Rivers state.

He acknowledged receiving a petition from the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Sunday seeking the cancellation of the last Saturday’s election.

Speaking before the results for Rivers state was announced, Jega said: “Sunday morning, I received a petition from APC demanding for the cancellation & rescheduling of elections.

“’I circulated this memo to the Comm. We reviewed it and set up a 3 man Committee to 

Rivers and they returned this morning with their observations. There were a number of points as to why the Commission should cancel/reschedule elections.
1. No elections
2. No result sheets

3. Substitution of officials.

“We cannot establish any cancellation or substitution of results and we sent a list of collation officers to the state. Officials failed to show up to work for several reasons and it is up to the REC to substitute from the pool of officials they have.

“We do not believe the allegations are substantial enough to require the cancellation/rescheduling of the elections in Rivers.
“The decision of the Commission is that we will take the results of the elections in Rivers state.
“We have taken measures to make sure that re-occurrences do not occur in the future.”

Recall that the Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had claimed that no elections were conducted in the state according to what he witnessed.

However, Dame Gesilia Khan, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rivers state, on 

Sunday night said elections held in the 23 local government areas of the state.

Yesterday, he imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Port Harcourt, the state capital, hours after the INEC announced the result of the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.