Former African leaders, who monitored Saturday’s elections as international observers under the auspices of African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Commonwealth, has adjudged the just con- cluded Saturday’s election “peaceful and transparent”. This is even as they de- clared that the success will rob off on the region and the continent as a whole. The former African leaders, former president of Ghana, John Kuffour (ECOWAS mission) and his Malawian counterpart, Bakili Muluzi (Common- wealth mission) and Amos Sawyer (African Union), who monitored Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections, stated their observations to journalists after meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting which started inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja at about 3.30p.m was also attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo and a few presidential aides. Addressing journalists after the meeting, Kuffour urged Nigerians to maintain the peace in the following days as results are announced. He expressed happiness that Nigerians are so far showing patience and peace with the process. He further appealed to them to continue in peace, adding that Nigerians would at the end of the day know that they used the process to get the government they want and deserve. “We have been in the country with our groups observing all over the country.
Now we have come to a point where from what we have seen, I’m sure you heard from some of us yesterday (Sunday) that the elections have been peaceful, transparent and credible up to yesterday. “We appreciate the pro- cesses, not yet done, till the results are declared then of course the aftermath of the declaration. But we have come this far and we wanted to give an interim report to the authorities that mandated us to come and to the world and to Nigerians in particular, to let everybody know that Nigeria so far has been at peace with the process and so we appeal to Nigeria to continue in this mood throughout the entire process, so that at the end of the day the people of Nigeria will be satisfied with themselves that they used the process to get the government they want and they want and they deserve.
“Nigeria succeeding will not only affect Nigeria but West Africa and the continent; we will all be made proud of the success here achieved by Nigerians for themselves and for all of us. “Well at this point some of us need to go back to our homes and we couldn’t go without coming to the State House here to see the president and the vice for the good work they have done. Because it is under their watch that these peaceful, transparent, credible elections have been happening and is natural they be congratulated for the work done so far.”
