President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday said the outgoing President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has changed the face of the
nation’s politics by his (Jonathan’s) telephone call to congratulat him before he was officially declared winner by the Independent
National Electoral Commission.
Buhari stated this at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja where Jonathan presented handover notes to him.
The presentation was witnessed by outgoing Vice President Namadi Sambo and the incoming Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
The incoming President further said that Jonathan took the path of honour in accepting his defeat in the March 28 presidential polls.
Buhari noted that although Jonathan had a choice, but doing otherwise would have been calamitous as it would have cost the nation some
innocent lives.
Buhari, who will take his oath of office and oath of allegiance on Friday as Nigeria’s president, emphasized that the singular act by
Jonathan has earned him the respect of not only Nigerians but world leaders alike.
The outgoing President had earlier conducted Buhari round the facilities in Aso Rock Villa before the brief handing over ceremony
which took place in the council chambers of the State House.
In Buhari’s words: “What I will say is since the telephone call you made, you have changed the course of Nigeria’s political history.
“For that you have earned yourself a place in our history, for stabilising this system of multi party democracy and you have earned
the respect of not only Nigerians but world leaders.
“All the leaders that spoke to me and congratulated us for arriving at the point we arrived, mentioned this and I could understand, a lot of
relief in their voices that Nigeria has made it after all and this is largely owed to your call.
“If you had attempted to make things difficult, you could have made things difficult and that would have been at the expense of lives of
poor Nigerians, but you chose the part of honour and may God help all of us.
“Thank you very much Your Excellency.”
On the handover notes, Buhari said he would reserve his comments until when he had read and digested the voluminous documents handed over to
him by Jonathan.
He said: “Until I read and digest this notes from the President, I don’t think I will be in a position to make any strong contribution.”
Jonathan presented the handover notes to Buhari along with a copy of the report of the National Conference held last year
Speaking before the presentations, Jonathan urged the incoming administration to consider how it could best use the report to enhance
governance.
He explained that the conference report contained resolutions and recommendations for serious constitutional, political and governance
reforms that would be useful to the Buhari administration in the governance of the cpuntry.
According to him: “The conference also made resolutions and recommendations for serious constitutional, political and governance
reforms, which we have forwarded to the National Assembly for appropriate legislative action.
“It is our hope that the incoming government will accord the report of the National Conference a very high priority that it deserves, as a
genuine expression of the will of our people.”
Jonathan, who enumerated the accomplishments of his administration, said he was careful not make the anti-corruption agencies the battle
axe for governance and politics.
Instead, he said his government tried to give free hands to the agencies so that they would make into strong institutions.
Jonathan said: “My administration has emphasised giving a free hand to our anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.
“We preferred that they mature into strong institutions instead of being the images, the hammer and the anvil of a strong man.
“We must encourage them to abide by the rule of law and due process instead of resorting to dramatic or illegal actions orchestrated for
cheap applause.”
Jonathan maintained that his administration did its best to intervene and impact positively on key aspects of the Nigerian national life.