Presidential Poll: Femi Fani-Kayode breaks silence
Ladies and gentlemen of the media,
We have come here today to express our gratitude to the Nigerian people for the overwhelming support that we received over the last few weeks when it comes to the issue of the Presidential election.
We fought a virile, strong, aggressive and very effective campaign on behalf of our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan and we put the case to the Nigerian people as to why we believe that he ought to have been elected as President for a second term.
We are very proud of the efforts of our President and of our party and we are also very proud of the efforts of every single one of those who participated in the Presidential Campaign Organisation.
As a Directorate we could not have asked for anything more in terms of support and encouragement from our colleagues and comrades within the party and the Campaign Organisation. I am personally very proud of my team, every single one of them; my Assistant Directors, my officers, my advisory team and every single one of those that joined hands to help us to state our case and to sell our candidate to the Nigerian people.
It has however come to a point that we must tell the world and the Nigerian people about how we feel about the outcome of the election. What we will say here today is basically to reiterate and to reflect the words of our leader and President, President Goodluck Jonathan. We start by saying that we commend and we congratulate General Muammadu Buhari for winning this election.
We also wish to commend our President, President Goodluck Jonathan,for having the courage to concede that he has lost the election at the earliestmoment and also for being able to stand up and rise above party politics andbeing able to speak like a statesman.
We therefore urge the Nigerian people and our teeming supporters to stand firm and continue to support the democratic process and continue to agitate for a better Nigeria. We urge them to continue to support our party the PDP as best as they can even though we lost this election. We ask them to co-operate with the incoming government and to remember that we are first and foremost Nigerians before anything else.
On the day of the election when I went to vote at Ile-Ife, I held a press conference in which I told the people that more than anything else that we should try our very best to keep the peace in this country and to keep the country moving forward.
I also reminded them that in every election there will always be a winner and a loser. It is a mark of our humanity and it is also symptomatic of the type of people that we are and who we are that when the time comes we can say we fought a good fight but we lost.
And having lost, it does not mean that it is the end to the world, it just means that we need to re-group, re-organise ourselves and begin the process all over again because another elections will come in a few years time.
And that is where we are today. We have conceded that we have lost. We acknowledge the fact that we fought a good fight. We do not have any fears about the future. We did the right thing during the campaign. We have no regrets about our candidate or the way in which we conducted our campaign and we will live to fight another day.
Finally let me commend all our colleagues on the other side for also standing up for what they believed in. There was absolutely nothing personalas regards this Directorate or myself. I had nothing personal against anybody. I was simply doing my job for which I have no regrets and I wish them well and I sincerely hope that they will take Nigeria to a level that we can all be proud of.
May God grant each and everyone of us peace. May He watch over our nation. May He guide our President for the next two months whilst he is still in power and thereafter and may He guide and lead the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, in the herculean task that lies ahead for him. My prayer is that he brings our nation together, heals the wounds and that he builds the bridges in terms of religion,ethnicity and region that he needs to build in order for us to make Nigeria a better place and to ensure that Nigeria becomes a great country that she is destined to be.
I want to end this message by thanking our colleagues in the press for always responding to us so quickly and for always being ready to hear our message and for putting it out there.Also those on the social media, both friend and foe, we thank you for your efforts. We thank our foes because they kept us on our toes and we thank our friends because they encouraged us and gave us hope.
May God grant you all peace and joy and may you live long and prosper.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
See General Buhari's certificate of return
President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari has picked his certificate of return at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. The document was handed to him by INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega.
Full text of General Muhammadu Buhari's acceptance speech
Your Excellency,
The Vice President elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, your Excellency, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, the Director General of APC Presidential Campaign, 2015, your Excellency, the former Governor of Edo State and National Chairman of our great party, your Excellency the Governor Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, your Excellency, the former Governor of Imo State, Dr Ogbonaya Onu, Your Excellency, the former Governor of Ekiti State, Engineer Oni, your Excellency the former Governor of Kwara, Bokola Saraki, your Excellency, the Speaker of the House of Representative, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, Please, let me stand on existing protocol.
At exactly 5:15 yesterday (Tuesday) evening, President Jonathan called to congratulate me on my victory. For this, I want all Nigerians to join me in congratulating and appreciating Mr President for his statesmanship. President Jonathan was a worthy opponent. I extend my hand of fellowship to him.
I look forward to meeting him soon, as we plan the transition from one administration to another. He will receive nothing but cooperation and understanding from me, who led this nation to democracy. You stood in line patiently for hours; in the rain, in the sun and then in the dark to cast your votes. Even when the vote was extended to Sunday in some places, you still performed your civic duties.
You did so peacefully. You voted with your heart. Your vote affirms that you believe Nigeria’s future can be better than what it is today. You voted for change and now change has come. INEC has released the official result of the Presidential Election. INEC has declared that I gained the most votes with the required spread and won this election. In a more profound way, it is you, Nigerians that have won. The people have shown their love for our nation and their believe in democracy. The declaration of INEC accurately reflects the will of the people.
While there might have been some logistical obstacles and irregularities associated with the exercise, the result shall stand as what the people want. I thank all Nigerians who have made this day possible, our country has now joined the community of nations that have used the ballot box to physically change an incumbent president in a free and fair election.
To me, this is indeed historic. Most people will welcome the result because it is the one they voted for. Others will literarily be disappointed. I ask that we all be circumspect, respectful and peaceful in these times. This was a hard-fought contest. Emotions were high.
We must not allow them to get the better of us. This is not the time for confrontation. This is a moment that we must begin to heal the wounds and work toward a better future. We do this first by extending a hand of friendship and conciliation across the political divide. We hope and pray our friends in other parties reciprocate.
I thank all the members of the All Progressives Congress, the APC, for their commitment and their hard work through the formation of the party, the campaigns and the presidential elections. Let me equally express my appreciation to the media, civil society and security agencies for their selfless service.
The international press and our friends abroad deserve a fair commendation for their support throughout the process. We promise a robust and dynamic engagement with your countries in matters of mutual interest.
In the interim, I call on all Nigerians to be law abiding and peaceful. The eyes of the world were focused on us to see if we can vote in a peaceful way and carry out elections in an orderly manner. We have proven to the world that we are a people who have embraced democracy and a people who seek a government by, for and for the people.
We have put one party state behind us. We have voted for a government that will serve and govern, but will never rule over you. CHANGE has come and a new day and a new Nigeria is upon us. The victory is yours and the glory is that of our nation, NIGERIA. I will make a more formal address to the nation, later in the afternoon after I receive the certificate of return from the INEC.
May God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s President Elect
Muhammadu Buhari
Taxi ride gone wrong! Watch the trailer for short film, Abducted.
The trailer for new short film, Abducted which has been gestating in the editing bay for months is finally out.
Directed and produced by Yemi Jolaoso; an upcoming director and nominee, best editing (phoneswap)at the Nollywood Movies Award 2013, the movie features veteran actor, Femi Branch and fast rising actress Monica Friday.
Synopsis
Bola’s trip is cut short when she ends up being kidnapped by a mysterious man disguised as a taxi driver.
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She soon realizes the kidnap is not just for ransom but the captor really wants her life.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/_-wKY7uLr84
Genre: Thriller (Short Film)
Story by: Yemi Jolaoso
Screenplay: Akin Harrison
Produced and Directed by : Yemi Jolaoso
This baby has been named after General Muhammadu Buhari
For the love of the General! A bouncing baby boy born to the family of Ahmad Gwamma yesterday March 31st, 2014 has been named after President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari. The ceremony is ongoing.
General Buhari garnered an overwhelming majority of votes to become the second man to rule Nigeria as military dictator and as elected President after Olusegun Obasanjo
Photo: Neymar picks trophy for best brazilian in Europe
Brazilian striker, Neymar Jnr has been honoured with the 2014 ‘Samba Gold’ award. The prize is presented to the best-performing Brazilian footballer currently playing in Europe.
The 23 year-old who has been in fine form for his club and country edged out Brazilian players, Joao Miranda and Felipe Melobeen in the poll.
The eventual winner is usually decided via over 150,000 votes worldwide and through the opinions of respected journalists and ex-professionals. PSG defender, Thiago Silva won the prize three consecutive times.
Godsday Orubebe apologises for disrupting proceedings at INEC collation centre
Former Niger Delta Affairs Minister Elder Godsday Orubebe has tendered an apology for his outbursts at the INEC collation centre in Abuja yesterday. Recall that the PDP agent disrupted proceedings during the exercise and accused the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega of being tribalistic and biased.
Elder Orubebe hasn’t only rued his actions, he has also appealed to Niger Delta youths not to perpetuate violence but accept the poll result in good faith.
“Election is a passionate thing and I really regret what took place this morning. I was unnecessarily pushed by Jega to get to that level. I want to apologise particularly to young Nigerians that look up to take politics as a career to say that what happened was not intended to cause them any embarrassment.
To Nigerians generally, I regret my actions as even an elder in the church, and a leader, the young men expected to see a lot from me and I believe that if there was any disappointment they got from me I apologize to Nigerians and to the youths of this country.”
President Goodluck Jonathan's concession speech.
I thank you all for turning out en-masse for the March 28 General Elections.
I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word. I have also expanded the space for Nigerians to participate in the democratic process. That is one legacy I will like to see endure.
Although some people have expressed mixed feelings about the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I urge those who may feel aggrieved to follow due process based on our constitution and our electoral laws, in seeking redress.
As I have always affirmed, 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.
I congratulate all Nigerians for successfully going through the process of the March 28th General Elections with the commendable enthusiasm and commitment that was demonstrated nationwide.
I also commend the Security Services for their role in ensuring that the elections were mostly peaceful and violence-free.
To my colleagues in the PDP, I thank you for your support. 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.
For the past 16 years, we have steered the country away from ethnic and regional politics. We created a Pan-Nigerian political party and brought home to our people the realities of economic development and social transformation.
Through patriotism and diligence, we have built the biggest and most patriotic party in Nigerian history. We must stand together as a party and look to the future with renewed optimism.
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.
I have conveyed my personal best wishes to General Muhammadu Buhari.
May God Almighty continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I thank you all.
Bode George on Buhari's victory, "I'm going on exile".
Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George is about to make good his promise of proceeding on exile if the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Maj-Gen Muhammudu Buhari (retd) wins the presidential election.
Speaking shortly after PDP’s defeat, the chieftain said he has no business staying in the country since their plans of restructuring the economy have been thwarted.
“What will I be doing here? I can decide to go and live anywhere. Look at everyone surrounding him (Buhari). “So, I am not joking about it, what will I be doing here? At 70, what will I be doing here?
All we have been doing to restructure the country has been lost. We have been trying to ensure balance in the polity but all that has gone. What else will I be doing here?”