I am immensely grateful to God for this day and for this hour. I feel truly honoured and humbled that the Nigerian people have so clearly chosen me to lead them. The official announcement from INEC was the moment the vast majority of Nigerians had hoped and been waiting for. Today, history has been made, and change has finally come. Your votes have changed our national destiny for the good of all Nigerians.
INEC has announced that I, Muhammadu Buhari, shall be your next president. My team and I shall faithfully serve you. There shall no longer be a ruling party again: APC will be your governing party. We shall faithfully serve you. We shall never rule over the people as if they were subservient to government.
Our long night has passed and the daylightof new democratic governance has brokenacross the land. This therefore is not avictory for one man or even one party. It isa victory for Nigeria and for all Nigerians.Millions of you have worked for this day.So many have risked life and livelihood; andothers have died that we may witness thismoment.
And it is with a very heavy heart that I reportmany deaths and injuries amidst thejubilations yesterday. We send our sincerecondolences to the families and friends ofthose who lost their lives; and wish speedyrecovery to those who suffered injuries. Iappeal to all our supporters to celebrate thisvictory with prayers and reflection insteadof wild jubilation.
May the souls of those who died rest in peace.Let us take a moment of silence to honour allof those whose sacrifices have brought us tothis fine and historic hour. As the results ofthe election have shown, their labor has notbeen and will never be in vain. Democracyand the rule of law will be re-established in the land.
Let us put the past, especially the recentpast, behind us. We must forget our oldbattles and past grievances—and learn toforge ahead. I assure you that ourgovernment is one that will listen to andembrace all.
I pledge myself and our in-comingadministration to just and principled governance. There shall be no biasagainst or favouritism for any Nigerianbased on ethnicity, religion, region, gender orsocial status. I pledge myself and thegovernment to the rule of law, in whichnone shall be so above the law that they arenot subject to its dictates, and none shall beso below it that they are not availed of its protection.
You shall be able to go to bed knowing thatyou are safe and that your constitutionalrights remain in safe hands. You shall beable to voice your opinion without fear ofreprisal or victimisation. My love andconcern for this nation and what I desire forit extends to all, even to those who do notlike us or our politics. You are all my peopleand I shall treat everyone of you as myown. I shall work for those who voted forme as well as those who voted against meand even for those who did not vote at all. Weall live under one name as one nation: we areall Nigerians.
Some unfortunate issues about my eligibilityhave been raised during the campaign. Iwish to state that through devotion to thisnation, everything I have learned and done has been to enable me to make the best possiblecontribution to public life. If I had judgedmyself incapable of governing I would neverhave sought to impose myself on it. I have served in various capacities and have alwaysput in my best.
But despite the rancour of the elections, Iextend a hand of friendship and conciliationto President Jonathan and his team. I herebywish to state that I harbour no ill will againstanyone.
Let me state clearly that President Jonathanhas nothing to fear from me. Although wemay not agree on the methods ofgoverning the nation, he is a great Nigerianand still our president. He deserves oursupport and permanent respect by virtue ofthe office he has held. This is how anhonourable nation treats its servants andconducts its affairs; and this is how Nigeriashould be.
I look forward to meeting with PresidentJonathan in the days to come to discusshow our teams can make the transition ofadministrations as efficient as possible.
Here, I want to thank my party forselecting me as its candidate. I thank ourparty leaders and members for the steadfastcontributions they made to bring our dreamto fruition. I thank INEC, the police and allother government agencies for performingtheir tasks in a proper manner and forrefusing to be induced to undermine theelection and the democratic process.
I also wish to thank religious Leaders,traditional leaders, the media, labor unions,Civil Society organisations, organised privatesector, youths and students for their roles in this election.
I give special thanks to President Obamaand his timely intervention and support forpeaceful and credible elections in Nigeriaand for sending Secretary John Kerry andother United States officials. The EuropeanUnion - especially the United Kingdom, France,Germany and other nations that wereactively involved in ensuring the success of this election are equally appreciated. Mysincere thanks to the United NationsSecretary General Mr Ban-Ki Moon. TheCommonwealth, China, India and otherAsian and Gulf states are also herebyappreciated. Finally our brothers in theAfrican Union and ECOWAS have truly andclearly shown and demonstrate theircommitment to our democratisationprocess. Former Presidents John Kuffour,Amos Sawyer, Bakili Muluzi and his teamare well appreciated. I must also add myappreciation for the role played by civilsocieties, national and Internationalobservers, other world leaders in ensuringthat Nigeria holds free and fair elections.
I assure all foreign governments thatNigeria will become a more forceful andconstructive player in the global fightagainst terrorism and in other matters ofcollective concern, such as the fight against drugs, climate change, financial fraud,communicable diseases and other issuesrequiring global response. I want toassure our fellow African nations thatNigeria will now stand as a moreconstructive partner in advancing thematters of concern to our continent, particularly with regard to economicdevelopment and eradication of poverty.
Former head of state and president ChiefOlusegun Obasanjo, General Yakubu Gowon, Alh. Shehu Shagari, General IbrahimBabangida, Chief Ernest Shonekan andGeneral Abdulsalami Abubakar deservecommendations for their statesmanship andwords of caution and counsel for peaceduring the tense moments of this electoralperiod.
Most of all, I thank the people of Nigeria forreposing their confidence in me at thistrying moment. Our nation wrestles manychallenges including insecurity, corruption,economic decline. I pledge to give you mybest in tackling these problems.
The good people of Nigeria, your obligationdoes not end with casting your ballot. I seekyour voice and input as we tackle theseproblems. This will not be a governmentdemocratic only in form. It will be a government democratic in substance and inhow it interacts with its own people.
No doubt, this nation has suffered greatly inthe recent past, and its staying power hasbeen tested to its limits by crises, chiefamong which is insurgency of the BokoHaram. There is no doubt that in tacklingthe insurgency we have a tough and urgentjob to do. But I assure you that Boko Haramwill soon know the strength of our collectivewill and commitment to rid this nation ofterror, and bring back peace and normalcy toall the affected areas. We shall spare noeffort until we defeat terrorism.
Furthermore, we shall strongly battle anotherform of evil that is even worse than terrorism—the evil of corruption. Corruption attacksand seeks to destroy our nationalinstitutions and character. Bymisdirecting into selfish hands fundsintended for the public purpose, corruptiondistorts the economy and worsens incomeinequality. It creates a class of unjustly-enriched people.
Such an illegal yet powerful force soon comesto undermine democracy because itsconspirators have amassed so much moneythat they believe they can buy government.We shall end this threat to our economicdevelopment and democratic survival. Irepeat that corruption will not be toleratedby this administration; and it shall no longerbe allowed to stand as if it is a respectedmonument in this nation.
I ask you to join me in resolving theseand the other challenges we face. Alongthe way, there will be victories but theremay also be setbacks. Mistakes will bemade. But we shall never take you forgranted; so, be rest assured that ourerrors will be those of compassion andcommitment not of wilful neglect andindifference.
We shall correct that which does not workand improve that which does. We shall notstop, stand or idle. We shall, if necessarycrawl, walk and run to do the job you have elected us to do.
I realise that the expectation of our peopletoday is as high as their commitment tochange has been strong and their belief inus unshaken. While we pledge to begin doingour best without delay, we would like toappeal to them to appreciate the gravity of oursituation, so that we become more realistic inour expectations.
We will govern for you and in your interests.Your vote was not wasted. This is not the firsttime Nigerians have cast their votes for us,and this is not the first time they have beencounted; but this is the first time that thevotes have been allowed to count. With thehelp of God, we pledge to do our utmost tobring forth the Nigeria you seek.
Thank you for your patience and attention.
General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
President-Elect,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
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