Having obtained 15.4 million votes, Muhammadu Buhari has been elected President of Nigeria, while the current president, Goodluck Jonathon, was defeated with 13.3 million.
According to Fides, just after the Independent Electoral Commission announced the results, the Bishops Conference of Nigeria exhorted supporters of both candidates to be calm and to respect the outcomes.
To contain possible post-election violence and be prepared for new attacks by Boko Haram, episcopal conference president and Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, asked that security forces to remain on alert.
Sources note that outgoing President Jonathan congratulated his successor and thanked Nigerians for “the great opportunity I was given to lead this country.”
“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian,” he reportedly said, adding, “The unity, stability and progress of our dear country is more important than anything else.”
Nigeria is considered Africa’s biggest economy and, with a population of some 180 million people, its most populous nation.
Analysts said that the election could mean the beginning of a competitive two-party system in Nigeria. The former president was with long time in power People’s Democratic Party, whereas Buhari is with the All Progressives Congress.
