President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) expressed his pride in the Nigerian electorate on Tuesday in Abuja after the holding of the presidential, governorship, and parliamentary elections, saying they realized their power and "ultimately determined who won or lost."
He did, however, express regret that some candidates, particularly those from the All Progressives Congress, were unsuccessful.
"I regret that a few candidates did not win the election. But I am encouraged by the fact that voters had the freedom to choose who won and who lost, Buhari said in a speech to Mary Beth Leonard, the departing US ambassador to Nigeria, at the State House in Abuja."
This information was provided by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President for Media and Publicity, in a statement he released on Tuesday under the heading "Recent elections proof of nation's voter vibrancy, maturity, says President Buhari."
According to eyewitness and news reports, there were varied degrees of irregularities and violence throughout the elections on February 25 and March 18, which garnered censure from the majority of voters as well as the international community.
A few opposition parties have also demanded the results be canceled and a new election be held, blaming the Independent National Election Commission for failing to electronically submit the results.
Buhari states he was "totally satisfied" with that aspect of his position by not meddling or interfering with the electoral process.
"Nigeria's democracy has truly matured," he said, praising Nigerians for their "passionate zeal towards democracy displayed via the choices they made in the presidential, National Assembly, and subsequent governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections."
He claims that "people are becoming more aware of their power. Nobody can tell people what to do if they have the opportunity to cast a free and fair vote.
"I regret that a few candidates did not win the election. But the idea that people had the power to choose for themselves who won and who lost motivates me."