Ghanaian Leader Commends Jonathan over Peaceful Polls

Ghanaian President, John Mahama has congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan over the conduct of the just concluded general election in the country.

The Ghanaian leader, who addressed State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the President at the State House, Abuja, described Jonathan’s decision to quickly accept defeat as a show of maturity which has earned him respect from across the world.

“I paid this visit in my capacity as the chair of the ECOWAS, to extend our commendation and congratulations to the people of Nigeria following a very successful elections that you had recently.

“If you recall, before the elections, on behalf of the authority of ECOWAS, I gave a solidarity message to Nigerians to step up and consolidate your democracy by having a peaceful, free and transparent election.

“And I believe that the whole world is congratulating you on the peaceful conduct and stability that has continued to endure both before, during and after the election.

“I also took the opportunity to commend him for the statesmanship that was displayed after the election. We all knew that he congratulated president-elect, Buhari, after the election and he accept defeat.

“I feel that was a very great sign of maturity and has earned the respect of all Nigerians and the respect of the international community for all what he did,” he said.

Mahama, however, expressed confidence that the country, with its huge economic and political influence in the West African sub region as well as the African continent, would continue to play leading role.

He said he would do all within his powers to ensure the sustenance of the socio-cultural and bilateral relationship between his country and Nigeria.

“We expect a smooth transition and possibly the role that Nigeria plays in the ECOWAS being the biggest economy, not only in our sub region but in the whole continent. Nigeria is a very important member of our sub region and we expect that Nigeria will continue to play this prominent role in the ECOWAS sub region.

“Of course, there is a special relation that exists between Nigeria and Ghana too and so as the President of Ghana, I wish to congratulate our brothers and sisters in Nigeria on what has been a very good election.

“Ghana and Nigeria will continue to hold a special relations and be very close to each other, we share the same values and more often than not we agree on international issues and we will continue to share that relationship and I’m sure it will make the bonds between our countries stronger,” he said.