President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the magnanimity of former president Goodluck Jonathan was key in disappointing the “prophet of dooms” who predicted the disintegration of the country in 2015.

Buhari said this at the 2015 Leadership Award organized by the Leadership Newspapers, where he won the Person of the Year alongside former president Goodluck Jonathan, and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Attahiru Jega.

Buhari said, “The events of 2015 which the Leadership Newspaper has chosen to bring to the fore today, marked a watershed in the political history of our country.

“Those of us who were participating actors in the elections were led by the higher ideal of the future of our great country and the well being of our people rather than the mere desire of politicians to win elections.

“It is, therefore, our commitment to this ideal, the patriotic zeal of President Jonathan, the impartiality of the electoral umpire, INEC and exemplary conduct of the political parties, foreign pressure and other actors that we collectively disappointed the prophets of doom who had predicted the disintegration of the country after the 2015 general elections.

“Our democracy has been strengthened by the outcome of the 2015 elections as our people now have more faith in the electoral system in the sense that their votes would count when choosing political leaders at various levels. We, the political class should build on the experience of the 2015 elections to nurture our democracy.”

Azeez