Jonathan Conceding Defeat, a Legacy for African Continent, Says Ouattara

Allassan Outtara

• Meets Buhari, pledges cooperation on regional integration  
• President-elect commends Jonathan for preventing post-election crisis

Jaiyeola Andrews and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

President of Cote d’Ivoire, Allassan Outtara, monday said the  Nigerian presidential election which President Goodluck Jonathan, an incumbent, lost and conceded defeat to an opposition and president-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), would continue to remain a great legacy for the African continent.

Ouattara, who paid a private visit to Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, told State House correspondents that the refusal of an incumbent president in his country, Laurent Gbagbo, to relinquish power five years ago, led to the loss of over 3,000 lives in a needless civil war.
He recalled that himself and his team were locked up in a hotel for four and half months,  without food and water for days.

The Ivorian president noted that Jonathan has won his admiration for that singular act of conceding defeat.

He stressed that Jonathan’s decisions did not come as a surprise, because he (Jonathan)   had always demonstrated he was more West African than Nigerian by his contributions in quelling the crisis in Mali,  Guinea Bissau, and Togo.

Ouattara added that avoiding violence and civil war when  any elections is held in Africa, should be the objective of leaders of African.
“I came on a private visit to see my friend and brother and to congratulate the Nigerian people for the conduct of the presidential election. On May 29, there will be inauguration and swearing-in of the President-elect Muhammadu Buhari. So I wanted to tell you (Jonathan) that we appreciate the leadership we have received from you during all these years.

“Mr. President, you know about five years ago Cote d’ Ivoire had presidential elections and I won the election and the incumbent president decided not to leave office. This brought a civil war and 3,000 people were killed and we were put in hotel and under the protection of the United Nations for about four and half months. There were days we could not even have food or water because the hotel had been barricaded and encircled by the former president and it was only after four and half months of imprisonment in the hotel that we were able to leave the hotel after the former president was caught and finally left office for me to take over.

“I am saying this to say that what happened in Nigeria is a lesson to all of us, please accept my admiration. I think avoiding violence, avoiding civil war when we have elections in Africa should be our most objective. People are more important than power. And Mr. President, my good friend, I’m not surprised by what you did, and I wanted to congratulate you, congratulate the Nigerian people, congratulate the president-elect, this election in Nigeria is a legacy for the African countries and I think we owe you a lot in ECOWAS.

“I will like to also say that for two years, I was chairman of ECOWAS after you and we had to deal with very difficult issues like the wars in Mali, the terrorist implementation in northern Nigeria, the problem in Guinea Bissau, the problems in Togo. You were always present. For us, you are a West African before being a Nigerian and we thank you for what you did for West Africa.

“And we also were together to set up the partnership agreement with the European Union and only West Africa has been able to do this.

“My brother, you have shown support to me during the difficult years I went through, you have shown friendship to me all these years and so I want to tell you thank you,” Ouattara said.

The Ivoriant President who also met with t Buhari at a closed - door meeting at the VIP Lounge of the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, offered to collaborate with the country’s new leadership on regional integration and development. “I have come to Nigeria to congratulate my brother the president-elect for his brilliant election and to let him know that the process of this election has effect on all of us in African countries, the peaceful process is a lesson for all African countries.

“You will recalled that in my own country in 2010 when we had the presidential election, the former president did not want to leave office and this led to civil war with 3,000 people killed, so we are very proud of the Nigerian people,” he said.

Speaking on the outlook of the incoming administration, the Ivorian president said he would like to see more collaboration between Nigeria and his country in the area of regional integration.

“I came to congratulate my brother, Buhari, and to tell him that my country and Nigeria will work hand in hand for stronger integration of the West African region.

“Nigeria is very important to all of us and I think I met Buhari a few years back, we will continue to work together to make sure that the West African region and the people of the region seek more prosperity and better lives,” he said.

Buhari who arrived at the  meeting at about 6.30p.m. joined Ouattara in commending President Jonathan for his action in preventing post-election crisis.

Speaking on his discussion with Ouattara, Buhari said: “All I did was to thank him very much for coming to congratulate us and I think more specifically is to congratulate President Jonathan for his statesmanship because President Ouattara referred to his own experience where he was under siege for more than four months because his predecessor refused to acknowledge his winning. In Nigeria the opposite happened, hence we are enjoying the peace, so I specifically congratulate President Jonathan for his statesmanship.”

Ouattara was driven into the Lounge along with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Musilu Obanikoro.