Ebri
From Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
Chief Clement Ebri, former governor of Cross River Thursday lauded the outcome of the presidential elections and congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat at the polls.
He stated this in an interview with journalists in Calabar on successful and peaceful Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Specifically to president-elect Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (Rtd), your victory marks the dawn of a new era in Nigeria where the masses can conveniently claim sense of ownership of Nigeria and their leaders.
“With your emergence I feel sure that Nigeria is in safe hands and that Nigeria will now renew her journey to the promise land with greater vigour and focus.
And to President Goodluck Jonathan I congratulate him for his magnanimity
in victory.
“It is the first time in Nigeria that we have seen an election where the loser conceded defeat even before the final results were announced. I have never believed in that this can happen in my live time. I believe that History will be kind to him for averting a national crises if he had opted otherwise.
“And I urge that the president continue to encourage INEC, other democratic institutions, international community and other stakeholders to be neutral, fair and sustain the tempo in the remaining elections on April 11.
He also lauded eligible voters in Nigeria for making their votes count: “I salute the Nigerian people for their resolve to make their votes count in spite of the contrived impediments. I believe that with the template that has been laid down in this election Nigeria’s democracy will now cruise comfortably on auto pilot mode.
Ebri Ebri, 63, was governor of Cross River from Jan. 1992 to Nov. 1983 on the National Republican Convention’s platform in Nigeria’s third republic.
He was preceded by Gov. Ernest Attah, succeeded by Gov. Ibrahim Kefas and co-founded ANPP.
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