In a lighter mood, while talking over dinner with State House correspondents in Aso Roock Villa last night, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the first time since taking over office, confessed his admiration and respect for former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said that after Jonaathan spent 16 years in public service, he never expected him to throw in the towel easily and say goodbye to power. So the president said he was shocked he proved him wrong and honourably conceded defeat to him, even before INEC finished announcing the results of the 2015 presidential elections.
“I underrated the influence of the PDP for 16 years watching from outside. The experience of the staff, their commitment and zeal is different from what it is now. 16 years of development in the life of a developing nation is a long time.
“This is where I pay my respect to former President Goodluck Jonathan. This is actually a privileged information for you. He called me at a quarter past five in the evening. He said ‘good evening your Excellency Sir’, and I said ‘good evening’.
“He said ‘I have called to congratulate you that I have conceded defeat’. Of course, there was dead silence on my end, because I did not expect it. I was shocked. I did not expect it because after sixteen years, the man was a deputy governor, governor, Vice President and was President for six years.
“For him to have conceded defeat even before the result was announced by INEC, I think it was a great generosity, a great patriotism.
“Abdulsalami recognised the generosity of Jonathan to concede defeat and said we should go and thank him immediately and that was the first time I came here.”
cpcnews.org 