The official announcement early Wednesday morning that opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari had won the presidency marked the first time since the return of democracy in 1999 that an elected Nigerian Administration had been defeated at the polls and turned over power to the opposition.  Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations noted the historic nature of the presidential elections in Nigeria.  

            “I congratulate President-elect Muhammadu Buhari for his momentous win and look forward to working with his Administration as I have with the government of current President Goodluck Jonathan,” Smith said. “I commend President Jonathan for quelling potential disruptions in the transition process by promptly conceding his defeat. I also want to acknowledge the effective work by Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, in conducting what is considered to be perhaps the most transparent election in recent Nigerian history.

              “The Nigerian people themselves deserve much credit for their patience and determination to express their political views peacefully through two days of voting and some difficulties at polling places across the country,” Smith said.

            Smith has worked with the Jonathan Administration to resolve obstacles complicating U.S. efforts to provide counter-terrorism training to Nigerian military and security forces, especially issues involving human rights vetting of Nigerian forces under the U.S. Leahy Law. He has urged the inclusion of qualified Nigerian human rights organizations in the vetting process and has asked the Obama Administration to consider the Nigerian request to designate the country as a major non-NATO ally, which would make training and other support more readily available to Nigeria in its fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group. Although thus far there has been no repeat of the widespread post-election violence of 2011, Boko Haram is reported to have killed more than 40 victims Saturday during the election.

            The congressman visited Nigeria in 2013 and 2014, and heard from maimed victims of the terrorist group firsthand. He returned to Washington and introduced the ‘‘Boko Haram Terrorist Designation Act of 2013,’’ H.Res. 3209. The State Department later agreed to declare the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) at the November 13, 2013, House hearing chaired by Smith, who also held an earlier hearing on Nigeria in 2012.

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