Ekweremadu To Buhari: Emulate Jonathan, Concede Defeat In 2019

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to concede defeat in the event that he loses the 2019 presidential election to the opposition.

Mr Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu’s Special Adviser, quoted the Deputy Senate President as saying this in a lecture titled ‘African Politics: The Dynamics and Lessons’ which he delivered at the parliament of the United Kingdom.

In the lecture he delivered on Friday, the Senator asked President Buhari to tow the path of former President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat to him after losing in the 2015 general elections.

“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan put Nigeria on the global map as a leading democratic nation when he put in everything to ensure a free and fair election, in which he not only lost the presidential poll as an incumbent but also willingly conceded defeat,” said the Deputy Senator President.

“In fact, he called the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, and congratulated him even before the announcement of the final results. In addition, neither former President Jonathan nor the PDP challenged the outcome of the election in court.

“Therefore, to whom much is given, much is also expected. The onus is now on President Buhari to likewise provide a level-playing ground and show uncommon statesmanship if he and his party lose the 2019 presidential election. That way, Africa’s biggest democracy will further entrench the culture of peaceful and smooth transfer of power from a ruling party to the opposition in both Nigeria and Africa,” said Ekweremadu.

He continued, “Any attempt to manipulate the 2019 elections to the advantage of self or party will not augur well for peace and democracy not only in Nigeria but the entire continent”.

“Important too, in the present age of technology, I will like to see the countries of Africa deploying the latest technology in voter registration, vote counting, and the announcement of results.

“We must ensure that the process is sufficiently transparent and unarguably so, such that losers will see and be convinced that they lost fairly. That way, election tribunals will be eliminated,” he said.

“Many African leaders do not seem to care about the law of diminishing returns, but you can never cheat nature.”

“From Zimbabwe under former Robert Mugabe to Uganda under Yoweri Museveni, Cameroon Paul Biya; Equatorial Guinea under Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo,who has been in power since 1979; Republic of Congo under Denis Sassou Nguesso who ruled from 1979 to 1992 and returned again since 1997; and not also forgetting Togo under late President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the country for 38 years and now under his son, Faure Gnassingbe, who continued from where his father stopped amidst rising political tension, the story has not been pleasant.

“Likewise, the sit-tight postures of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir’s 28 years old regime in Sudan, President Idriss Deby’s 27-year rule in Chad, President Isaias Afwerki’s 24 years old leadership in Eritrea, President Paul Kagame’s 17 years old reign in Rwanda, and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika 18 years in power in Algeria are soul-dampening.

“There are also emerging sit-tight regimes in Mauritania under Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz, Burundi under Pierre Nkurunziza, etc. President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who succeeded his father, the late Laurent Kabila, in 2001, has refused to step down after the expiration of his mandate. This has triggered political tension and protests in that country. This is disheartening.”