President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor in office, Dr Goodluck Jonathan have congratulated Mr. George Weah on his election as the next President of the Republic of Liberia.
President Buhari specifically commended the Liberian people on the peaceful conduct of the historic presidential run-off election, stressing that “this is another plus on Africa’s democratic scoreboard.”
Buhari, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, equally applauded the efforts of the National Election Commission of Liberia, as well as regional and international observers who have contributed immensely to the electoral process and the strengthening of post-conflict democracy in the West African country.
Describing Weah’s victory as an affirmation of the will of the Liberian people to remain united, peaceful and prosperous, President Buhari pledged Nigeria’s readiness to work with Liberia on issues of mutual interest at bilateral, regional and global levels for the benefit of citizens of both countries.
The President also commended outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, under whose 12-year watch Liberia had transformed from being a pariah state to a country doing remarkably well on many fronts such as women and civil rights issue, peace building and consolidation, ECOWAS and the Mano River Union.
President Buhari also noted that President Sirleaf deserves special commendation for the statesmanship she has shown in ensuring free and fair elections that would pave the way for a peaceful transfer of political power from one democratically elected leader to another for the first time in 73 years.
Wishing President-elect Weah and Liberians a peaceful transition, he reassured them of Nigeria’s determination to sustain the current cordial relationship with Liberia.
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan advised the new Liberian leader to maintain his policy of open-mindedness in his new position.
Weah, a former soccer star and standard bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the presidential election was declared winner on Thursday after garnering over 60 percent of the votes in the election run off held on December 26.
Jonathan, who has just returned from Monrovia after leading the National Democratic Institute (NDI) International Elections Observation Mission to Liberia, posted the goodwill message to Weah on his Facebook page, saying: “I congratulate the declared winner, Mr. George Weah. I urge him to continue as he has started, with an open arms policy. Everybody is a winner when democracy wins. And democracy has won today.”
The former President also commended Liberians for demonstrating the willingness to give democracy chance.
He added: “Throughout my political life, I have lived by the creed that nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of their citizens. I am most grateful to the nation of Liberia and especially the candidates – Mr. George Weah and Mr. Joseph Boakai, for living up to this creed. As co-leader of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) International Elections Observation Mission to Liberia for these elections, I salute the zest for democracy of the Liberian people.”