Obama praises President Jonathan

I look forward to working with President Jonathanthroughout the remainder of his term, and I thankhim for his many years of service and hisstatesmanlike conduct at this criticaljuncture,”Obama said.With dissatisfaction rife over insecurity and corruption and the economy faltering as oil
revenues dive, voters turned out in force sensing anunprecedented opportunity for change in the
weekend election.

 
The last few days have shown the world the strength of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic
principles,” Obama said. “By turning out in large numbers and sometimes waiting all day to cast
their votes, Nigerians came together to decide the future of their country peacefully.” After an often
bitter campaign that included highly charged rhetoricon both sides, Buhari said he planned to meet with
Jonathan soon to plan the transition.

“I urge president-elect Buhari and PresidentJonathan to repeat their calls to their supporters to
continue to respect the election outcomes, focus onunifying the country, and together lead Nigeria
through a peaceful transition,”
Obama said. Buhari, a 72-year-old former army general who led Nigeria as a military ruler in the 1980s, said the vote had proved the country’s “belief in democracy.

” Obama also praised Nigeria’s IndependentNational Election Commission (INEC) and its
chairman, which he said “deserve specialrecognition for what independent international
observers have deemed a largely peaceful andorderly vote.”