The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has congratulate the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari over his electoral victory, even as it commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding victory in an election that has been described as successful.
In a statement by its President, Malachy Agbo, GOCOP said that apart from field reports by its members and staff who covered the elections, the commendations locally and by the international community attest to the fact that the election was the freest and fairest ever to be conducted in the country.
The statement said that the President-elect had taught Nigerians the lesson in perseverance, having sought the same position thrice in the past without success, even as it charged the General to be magnanimous in victory.
“The time to jettison partisanship by the General is now, as electioneering is over and the serious business of governance is at hand.
“There is no idea or persons that should be discarded in the process of moving the country forward.”
GOCOP also commended President Jonathan for his show of sportsmanship with his decision to congratulate Buhari even before the official declaration of the result.
“This, no doubt, doused the tension that had been building up before the announcement of the final result and pulled the bullets out of the already cocked guns of those prepared for war in the event that their candidate loses.”
The association also praised Jonathan for overseeing two successive elections that had proven that the country is capable of holding its head high in the comity of nations when it comes to the conduct of free and fair elections.
Malachy in the statement, also paid glowing tribute to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, and his aides as well as the staff for ensuring that the elections were free and fair.
He said that the place of Jega in Nigeria’s history can never be forgotten.
GOCOP equally praised the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation and the media team of the APC, headed by the former President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Malam Garba Shehu, for playing by the rules of the game through the avoidance of hate speeches and focusing on issues rather than frivolities throughout the campaign that heralded the elections.
GOCOP said the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation showed immense professionalism in the handling of the presidential campaign of the APC.
The association also commended Nigerians who participated fully in the voting process, in some cases under the rain.
“Elections are about the people and Nigerians showed great zeal and commitment to the process by turning out en-mass to cast their votes, with some staying under the rain, as witnessed in most parts of Lagos State, to cast their votes.
“For over 28 million Nigerians to have cast their votes out of the registered 68 million voters is a testimony to the zeal of Nigerians to participate in the process to elect their leaders. It is indeed victory for all.”
The Guild urged Nigerians to show the same enthusiasm for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections coming up on April 11.
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