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Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan publicly concedes election defeat

Nigerian President-elect Muhammadu Buhari

Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan has publicly conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in the country’s presidential election.

"I thank all Nigerians once again for the great opportunity I was given to lead this country and assure you that I will continue to do my best at the helm of national affairs until the end of my tenure," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added that he had conveyed his personal best wishes to General Buhari.

"I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word," the 57-year-old said in a statement following the announcement of the final results in which Buhari was around 2.5 million votes ahead.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan casts his ballot in Otuoke on March 28, 2015. (AFP Photo)

He went on to urge the court settlement of disputes over the election outcome rather than street violence.

"Nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. The unity, stability and progress of our dear country is more important than anything else," he added.

Buhari has vowed to end corruption and ensure peace and stability in the most populous nation of Africa.

Celebrations are being held over Buhari's victory at his All Progressives Congress (APC) headquarters in Abuja and in cities across the country’s north.

All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters celebrate outside the party secretariat in Abuja on March 31, 2015. (AFP Photo)

Jonathon called on the members of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has been in power since the end of military rule in 1999, to not despair. 

"Today, the PDP should be celebrating rather than mourning. We have established a legacy of democratic freedom, transparency, economic growth and free and fair elections," he added.

Hundreds of Nigerians celebrate at an intersection in the flashpoint northern city of Kaduna the victory of main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Mohammadu Buhari on March 31, 2015. (AFP Photo)

Nigerians turned out en masse to vote in the presidential election over the weekend. The country’s almost 60 million registered voters also cast their ballots in parliamentary elections, with 739 candidates competing for a place in Nigeria’s 109-seat Senate and 1,780 seeking election to the 360-seat House of Representatives.

SRK/MHB/AS


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