Jonathan’s call in 2015, shocked me, Buhari confessed

….promised to work with judiciary

Although sounded like a joke but Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, confessed to journalists at the State House that he was shocked when his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, called him before the 2015 Presidential election was concluded to concede defeat.

At a launch with the reporters, Buhari again commended the former President for the decision which he said came as a surprise to him.

“When he made that famous call at 4:45 pm and said ‘Good evening Mr. President, I have called to congratulate you and I concede defeat’, I was silent for quite a while because I was surprised and he said ‘did you hear me?’”, Buhari said.

Jonathan had called Mr Buhari to congratulate him on his victory, requesting that he should make out time to visit the Presidential Villa for talks on the transitional process.

Buhari further said: “For someone who was a Deputy Governor, a Governor, a Vice President and a President for six years to concede that easily showed his great sense of patriotism.”

He also pointed out that the former President was a member of a party that was at the helms of affairs for 16 years.

“For him to still go ahead and concede defeat was definitely not an easy decision.”

Mr. President, however, described his experience in the villa during the hand over, as different from what he envisaged, maintaining that his administration did not meet any money on ground.

Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari assured he will carefully work with the judiciary and the international community in the recovery of looted funds to ensure that all monies stolen by the past administration are fully recovered.

He was, however, optimistic that the promises on security, fight against corruption and revamping the economy would be fulfilled.

On the $2.1 billion meant for security but was allegedly looted and efforts to recover looted funds, the President said security, fight against corruption and revamping the economy still remained the tripod on which his administration stood and the main focus that could not be derailed.