The title of this article certainly made you think, I am accusing APC or rigging the election right? Well, calm down -I am not. Buhari won the election fair and square -he beat Goodluck Jonathan at the polls, but the ultimate winner of the contest.

How? Well, I shall explain! Goodluck Jonathan by ringing Buhari at 5:15 yesterday to congratulate him, even before all the results were declared, did something that no other Nigerian or African president has ever done. He conceded defeat in the very first episode of elections where a sitting president lost. This sole of maturity has propelled him into the height of statesmanship, far higher than any other current african leader – perhaps only to the levels of other statesmen like Kofi Annan, Emeka Anyoaku etc.

The title of this article certainly made you think, I am accusing APC or rigging the election right?

Well, calm down – I am not. Buhari won the election fair and square – he beat Goodluck Jonathan at the polls, but the ultimate winner of the contest is Goodluck Jonathan. How you may ask?

Well….. By phoning Buhari at 5:15 yesterday to congratulate him (i.e., even before all the results were declared), Goodluck Jonathan propelled himself from a simple President to the lofty status of “Number One” statesman in Africa.

He did something that no other African president has ever done. He conceded defeat in the very first Nigerian election where an incumbent president lost. The fact that a sitting president can lose, shows that the elections were relatively free and fair, and the president did not use his position to intimidate voters or rig. This show of maturity has propelled him into the height of statesmanship, far higher than any other current African leader – perhaps only to the levels of other statesmen like Yakubu Gowon, Emeka Anyoaku etc. Even Barrack Obama had to commend the president for that unique act.

It is a fact that in Africa, leaders never relinquish power -they either stay there for life (like Mobutu Seseseko, Robert Mugabe), are forced out (like Laurent Gbago and IBB) or they die in the office like (Abacha or Yar’adua). Goodluck Jonathan didn’t do either, once he got the inkling that his party was headed towards defeat, he conceded and thus averted the potential war which many had hitherto declared. He put the US prediction of total war to shame -the predictions that the country would disintegrate, have so far not happened.

Goodluck Jonathan will go down in history as one of the best presidents that Nigeria has seen, not because of his achievements in Government, but because of his magnanimity and statesmanship, especially at the twilight of his administration. The same reason why people have continually accused him of being weak and inept is the same reason why people will adore him in the near future. History, they say will be kind to the legacy of the meek – and Goodluck Jonathan fits that bill. A meek, humble and unassuming leader like himself will have a lot to thank God for in the future.

One of the cardinal things, we should all remain grateful to Goodluck Jonathan for – is the fact that he organised an election that was free-fair and unriggable. You’d agree, that the use of PVCs etc makes rigging very difficult. The fact that Goodluck Jonathan did not insist that TVCs be used (to allow him rig himself back to power) – is highly highly commendable and unusual. We therefore cast our eye to the future to see whether Buhari will also be man enough or fair enough to give us credible elections devoid of religious, ethnic and tribal sentiments.

We salute Goodluck Jonathan -a true democrat and the highest ranking statesman in Nigeria.

Dr. Chinan Mclean

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Buhari won the election, but Goodluck Jonathan won the contest