President Muhammadu Buhari said he was shocked when former president Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to him during the 2015 election
President Buhari revealed this at the Presidential Banquet hall, Abuja, when he hosted the State House Press Corps to a lunch as part of this year’s activities to mark democracy day
The president: “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?’”.
“Abdulsalam recognized the generosity of Jonathan to concede defeat and said we should go and thank him immediately and that was the first time I came here,” he said.
The president added that during the visit to thank Jonathan, General Abdulsalami again advised that in order to smoothen the transition process, he should set up a committee to meet with the outgoing ministers of the former president to begin the process of handing over at that level.
Those who attended the lunch includes the minister of information, Lai Mohammed; the president’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari; and the senior special assistant to the resident, media and publicity, Garba Shehu.