Although the words didn’t come from the President’s mouth, they were said on his behalf by Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Lalung.

According to Lalung the message-bearer, former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party were not mentally prepared for their defeat in the last general elections.

President Muhammadu Buhari said the PDP never expected to leave power so soon, hence, it was caught unawares by the outcome of the election.

The President was quoted to have said the following on Monday, at an event organised by the National Democratic Institute.

“Our experience in the last transition process was unique despite the fact that we have held many general elections and there have been hand over of four from one government to another. Indeed, the last election heralded the first real transition in the history of our nation, being the first time that an opposition party will sweep the ruling party out of power.

“This probably explains why the then ruling government was completely caught unawares by the outcome of the election. For the government led by a ruling party that vowed to stay in power for 60 years in the first instance, they were not prepared for the transition that would not be from themselves to themselves. How can they, when they felt invincible, judging by the perceived strength and assumed popularity and the huge resources at their disposal?

“Because they were not mentally prepared for the outcome of that election, they were unable to put in place structures that would make the transition process that followed. Because our country lacks an institutionalised transition system, the then ruling government simply did not know what to do, and unpatriotic elements exploited the situation, which almost led to a national crisis.”

Kolapo Olapoju