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In a historic breakthrough for Nigerian democracy, President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat Tuesday in a hard-fought presidential election, signaling that he will peacefully turn over power to his victorious rival, Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan, 57, the first sitting leader to be defeated at the ballot box, was hailed as a hero by the opposition after he called Buhari, 72, to congratulate him on his victory late Tuesday afternoon, even before the final result was announced.

Nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian, Jonathan said in a statement, the Associated Press reported. I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word.

Jonathans concession dramatically reduced the tension in one of the most bitterly contested elections in Nigerian history.

A peaceful transfer of power in Africas most populous nation sends a strong democratic message across a continent where many presidents cling to power for decades. Democracy advocates worry that several presidents want to engineer changes to their constitutions to extend their terms.

Nigerias opposition All Progressives Congress, or APC, had stirred up fear that the governing Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, planned to scuttle the election.

Jonathan, however, resisted strong pressure from government members who were openly pushing for the removal of Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

There had always been this fear that he might not want to concede, but he will remain a hero for this move. The tension will go down dramatically. Anyone who tries to foment trouble on the account that they have lost the election will be doing so purely on his own, APC spokesman Lai Mohammed said.

In another positive sign, a prominent PDP state governor, Ayodele Fayose, urged the governing partys supporters to accept the result.

The election result is the will of God and Nigerians, and all lovers of peace, progress and development of Nigeria must accept it, he said in a written statement, adding that Nigerians had cemented the countrys democracy.

Original post:
Nigeria President Jonathan hailed as hero for conceding election defeat