ABUJA, Nigeria — Amid anger over an Islamic insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives, Nigerians threw out the incumbent and elected a 72-year-old former military dictator Tuesday in a historic transfer of power following the nation’s most hotly contested
ABUJA, Nigeria — Amid anger over an Islamic insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives, Nigerians threw out the incumbent and elected a 72-year-old former military dictator Tuesday in a historic transfer of power following the nation’s most hotly contested election ever.
President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to former Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, paving the way for an unprecedented peaceful transfer of power in Africa’s most populous nation.
“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian,” Jonathan said in a statement in which he congratulated his successor on his victory. “I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word.”
It will be the first time in Nigeria’s history that an opposition party has democratically taken control of the country from the ruling party — considered a sign of the West African nation’s maturing young democracy. Jonathan’s party has governed since decades of military dictatorship ended in 1999.
Celebrations erupted throughout Buhari’s strongholds in northern Nigeria and around his campaign headquarters in Abuja. Cars honked and people waved brooms in the air — a symbol of Buhari’s campaign promise to sweep out Nigeria’s endemic corruption.
Jonathan’s concession came before the final announcement of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission and as Buhari prepared to address the nation.
Results of all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory showed Buhari, who ruled with an iron hand during a brief tenure in the 1980s, dealing a crushing defeat to Jonathan.
An Associated Press count of the final results showed Buhari winning more than 15.3 million votes to Jonathan’s 12.9 million. Buhari won 19 states to Jonathan’s 17 states and the small Federal Capital Territory. Final official results were expected to be announced late Tuesday.
