Abuja: Amid anger over an Islamic insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives, Nigerians threw out the incumbent and elected a 72-year-old former military dictator in a historic transfer of power officially announced early Wednesday following the nation's most hotly contested election ever. President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to former Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, paving the way for an unprecedented peaceful transfer of power in Africa's most populous nation.
"Nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian,'' Jonathan said in a televised address to the nation. "I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word.''
It will be the first time in Nigeria's history that an opposition party has democratically taken control of the country from the ruling party considered a sign of the West African nation's maturing young democracy. Jonathan's party has governed since decades of military dictatorship ended in 1999.
Celebrations erupted throughout Buhari's strongholds in northern Nigeria and around his campaign headquarters in Abuja. Cars honked and people waved brooms in the air, a symbol of Buhari's campaign promise to sweep out Nigeria's endemic corruption.
Buhari was to address a news conference later Wednesday. Jonathan's concession came before the final announcement from the Independent National Electoral Commission that Buhari had been elected. Commission chairman Attahiru Jega said Buhari received 15,424,921 votes to Jonathan's 12,853,162. He said among 12 trailing candidates the only woman, Remy Sonaiya, received 13,076 votes.
