Nigerians in Europe celebrate Buhari’s re-election, urge Abubakar to accept defeat

Some Nigerians in Europe are celebrating the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was on Wednesday declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having polled 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 […]

Some Nigerians in Europe are celebrating the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was on Wednesday declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), having polled 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 states.

Buhari defeated 71 other candidates including his closest contender, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 11, 255,978 votes and won 17 states and the FCT to emerge second.

Reacting to the development on Thursday, the Nigerians Diaspora in Europe in seperate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) described Buhari’s victory as “the choice of the people’’.

Mr Alaba Moses, a political analyst in Geneva said that Buhari’s re-election would ensure continuity in the nation’s recovery process.

“Within four years, President Buhari has curbed corruption and restructured governance for effective service delivery.

“He has tightened all loopholes and leakages where people get free money and foster corruption.

“That is why I am glad that we brought him back to office to continue the good work,” Moses said.

Dr Sarah Bako, a UK based politician said that Nigerians against Buhari’s re-election “are upset because it is no longer business as usual for them.

“They have personal interest which is rooted in greed, corruption and selfishness.

“People should see public office as a service to the nation and not a means to self enrichment,’’ she said.

Mr John Ekpo, a Human Rights lawyer in London while celebrating Buhari’s victory advised aggrieved parties to direct their complaints to the appropriate channels.

“The courts are there, if anyone is dissatisfied with the election outcome, they should head to the Tribunal,’’ Ekpo said.

He warned against heating the polity with unnecessary protests, while advising politicians to be magnanimous in victory and gracious in defeat.

Others who spoke from Spain, Italy and Germany urged the PDP presidential candidate Abubakar to accept the poll result as the valid votes of Nigerians.

They unanimously said that hitches and delays recorded at Feb. 23 polls were not enough to mar the entire election or significantly affect the results.

They enjoined Nigerians irrespective of party affiliations to see Buhari’s victory as an act of God and celebrate his re-election.

NAN reports that many Nigerians in Europe travelled to their states to perform their civic responsibility, while some of them served as observers at the polls. (NAN)