President John Mahama of Ghana on Tuesday praised President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat in the March 28 presidential election, saying his Nigerian counterpart displayed great sign of maturity.
The Ghanaian President said Jonathan, by his action, had earned the respect of Nigerians and the international community.
Mahama spoke with State House correspondents after holding a closed-door meeting with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the Economic Community of West African States, which he chairs, expected a smooth transition from Jonathan to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “I took the opportunity to commend him (Jonathan) for the statesmanship that was displayed after the election.
“We all knew that he congratulated President-elect Buhari after the election results and he conceded 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.
“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.”
Mahama described Nigeria as a very important member of the African sub-region and he expected that the country would continue to play a prominent role in ECOWAS.
He said Ghana and Nigeria had a special relationship hence his decision to congratulate Nigerians on the success of the 2015 elections.
He said, “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 am sure it will make the bonds between our countries stronger.
“If you recall, before the elections and 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 elections.
“I believe that the whole world is congratulating you on the peace and stability that have continued to endure before, during and after the elections.
“I have been conferring with President Jonathan on several issues in respect of ECOWAS. We are due to have a summit and we discussed issues about the summit and a few outstanding issues relating to ECOWAS.”
