President Barack Obama of the United states of America and the former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Annan have both congratulated Muhammudu Buhari on his inauguration as President of Nigeria.
While Obama says he will continue to strengthen the economic and diplomatic styles between his country and Nigeria, Annan says he hopes “that Nigeria’s recent elections were not a lucky exception but instead signal a new democratic departure from which other countries in Africa and beyond can draw inspiration.”
Obama in a press statement obtained by a correspondent of Leadership newspaper in New York, promised that his administration would maintain the strong ties with the government of Nigeria which began in 2010, stressing that he should not relent in his effort to ensure that Nigeria remains united.
Obama, also praised former president, Goodluck Jonathan, for putting the interest of Nigeria at hand by conceding defeat at the March 28th Presidential elections.
Meanwhile, Annan in a statement said he prayed the newly-inaugurated administration Buhari, will rule the country using democratic tenets. He also hoped the peaceful was the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa as a whole
He said, “For the first time in Nigeria’s history, an elected president is today handing power to another elected president following an election that was, by and large, free, fair and comparatively peaceful. President Goodluck Jonathan, in particular, deserves much credit for conceding defeat promptly and elegantly.
“The outgoing president has paved the way for peaceful transition. It now befalls president-elect Buhari to govern in a democratic spirit, strengthening public institutions and ensuring that forthcoming elections at local or parliamentary level do not revert to the old ways.
“Let us hope that Nigeria’s recent elections were not a lucky exception but instead signal a new democratic departure from which other countries in Africa and beyond can draw inspiration as they too face the complicated and sometimes perilous challenge of managing political transition.
