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31.03.2015 Headlines

Kufuor Warns Goodluck Jonathan: Respect The Will Of Your People

By AtinkaOnline.com
Kufuor Warns Goodluck Jonathan: Respect The Will Of Your People
31.03.2015 LISTEN

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has counseled incumbent Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan against doing anything that will mar the impressive conduct of the weekend's elections. The governing People's Democratic Party (PDP) led by the incumbent president, is trailing the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, General Mohammadu Buhari who is also a former military leader of that country.

Speaking at a meeting with President Jonathan at the Aso Rock, the former Ghanaian leader who is leading 250-strong Observer Mission of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) to the Nigerian elections said, it is important that the will of the people be respected at all times, as made manifest by the polls.

President Kufuor was accompanied by former Liberian President Amos Sawyer and Former Malawian President, Bakil Muluzi who head the African Union and Commonwealth Observer Missions respectively, for the elections.

Former President Kufuor and is counterparts counseled the two major contestants on the need to maintain the peace that characterized the elections and not to resort to violence to resolve disputes that may arise from the collation of the results.

He Kufuor said it is important that the will of the people be respected at all times, as made manifest by the polls, adding that the strategic might of Nigeria in African made it imperative for the country to show the way for sustainable democratic development on the continent.

He noted that as observers they were impartial and had only come to observe and report to the world what transpired during the elections.

At their meeting with General Buhari, Former President Kufuor said it was important that all stakeholders in the elections played according the 'rules of the game' and did not engage in acts that will cast doubt on the outcome of the elections.

He said where suspicion was created in the minds of the electorate, it became difficult for the people to accept the outcome of the polls and urged them to put all their grievances through the judicial process for redress.

Both President Jonathan and General Buhari, assured the leaders for their commitment to upholding the constitutional process and pledged to abide by the results.

They commended the three former leaders for their commitment to the progress of Nigeria and Africa and assured them of their support in raising the image of Africa.

Final results of the elections which is the fifth since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999 is expected on Wednesday, 31st March.

The polls on Saturday, had to be extended for another day following the cancellation of voting in some areas because late start and disturbance which led to loss of lives in some instances.

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