Polls: Ex-African leaders that showed Jonathan the way

However, it is not the first of such gesture in the history of Africa. There were former leaders who conceded defeat in the continent including Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole of the autonomous Somali region of Puntland who lost by just one vote to the opposition and accepted defeat.The first president in post-colonial Africa to transfer […]

However, it is not the first of such gesture in the history of Africa. There were former leaders who conceded defeat in the continent including Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole of the autonomous Somali region of Puntland who lost by just one vote to the opposition and accepted defeat.
The first president in post-colonial Africa to transfer power peacefully and gracefully to an opposition candidate was Somalian President, late Aden Abdullah Osman Daar in1968.
He conceded defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, who incidentally served as Prime Minister under him.
In 1991, pioneer Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) which had ruled Zambia for 27 years (1964-1991) conceded defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Frederick Chiluba of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD).
In 1994, Malawian President, Hastings Kamuzu Banda of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) conceded defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Elson Bakili Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF). Mulizi has since become an African elder statesman and was among the leading international election observers who witness the March 28 elections in Nigeria.
The second Senegalese President Abdou Diouf of the Socialist Party of Senegal (SPS) in 2000 congratulated and handed over power to opposition candidate, Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) who had contested and lost in four previous attempts.
Also in 2000, Mauritanian Prime Minister, Navinchandra Ramgoolam of the Labour Party (LP) accepted defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Sir Anerood Jugnauth of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM).
In 2010, the third Somaliland President, Dahir Riyale Kahin of the United Peoples’ Democratic Party (UPDP) conceded defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud of the Peace, Unity, and Development Party (PUDP).
Again in 2011, Zambian President, Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) which had ruled Zambia for 20 years (1991-2011) conceded defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF). South Africa and other international observers played prominent role in that election.
In 2012, Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) publicly congratulated and handed over power to opposition candidate, incumbent Macky Sall of the Alliance for the Republic. This was however after the elections went into re-run and the majority of the citizens clearly showing they have had enough of Wade.
Again in Somalia in 2012, President Shariff Ahmed of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia conceded defeat and handed over power to opposition candidate, Hassan Sheik Mohamud of the Peace and Development Party (PDP). This was in spite of the widespread insurgency and insecurity in the country that could have been used as a smokescreen to truncate the process.
In one of the most dramatic scenarios of the modern world, the President of the Puntland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole of the Horseed party in 2014, swiftly conceded defeat and handed over power to the opposition candidate, Harvard trained Prof. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali of the Ururka Dadka Puntland despite losing by just one vote.
Nigeria thus joined the ranks of the few African countries where the central government was changed through the ballot box.
It however remains to be seen if incumbent presidents facing elections including Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, and Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast would be defeated in the unfolding “African Spring” which Nigeria has set the pace.