Inaugural speech by His Excellency, President Muhammadu
Buhari at his swearing-in on May, 29, 2015
I am immensely grateful to God, who has preserved us to
witness this day and this occasion.
Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to
celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy. Nigerians have shown their
commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its culture.
Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the
determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have
today a truly democratically elected government in place.
I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his
display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our
people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and
cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for
us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a
united people capable of doing what is right for our nation.
Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come
to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting
defeat by the outgoing president will become the standard of political conduct
in the country.
I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who
believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in
waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes
and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and
were counted.
