Why I conceded defeat to Buhari—Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Saturday that he conceded defeat in the March 28 presidential elections in obedience to the laws of the country.

Jonathan was defeated in the election by the candidate of All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

He said this while fielding questions from newsmen at Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa shortly after he cast his votes in the State Assembly polls.

“I am a Nigerian and I am Goodluck Jonathan.  I feel that as a nation you respect your laws; I am quite pleased to respect the laws of the land,’’ he told newsmen.

Jonathan also said that “as a nation, we are quite happy we are consolidating in our democratic efforts.

“The key thing is that citizens must be ready to change government properly. We must do elections every four years,’’ he said.

Jonathan said turnout for the election was low in Bayelsa because “we are voting for only the State House of Assembly. There is no governorship election in Bayelsa.

`In some other states where they have governorship elections the stakes will be higher; turnout may be better; the level of mobilisation may be quite high.

“But here it is just the State House of Assembly and that is why you don’t see that kind of enthusiasm and so on and so forth”.

Jonathan said he was happy he had done his civic duty, adding that he expected others to do the same.

Reacting to feelers he received about the polls nationwide he said he knew that elections were going on well.

“Yes you will expect that in a country as big as Nigeria there may be issues in some places but I think that on the overall the elections are going on wel,” he said.

On why Dame Patience Jonathan was absent at the Assembly polls, the president said both of them boarded different flights, adding that  she would arrive at Bayelsa later.

“We have been expecting her; we hope she will soon be here. The only thing is that she may miss the accreditation period,’’ he said.

GUARDIAN