President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated President Macky Sall of Senegal on his re-election for a second term.
Sall was declared winner of the election held on Sunday 24 February, in the provisional results announced by the electoral body.
He won 58.27 per cent of the votes. Challenger Idrissa Seck, came second with 21 percent of votes.
President Buhari commended the people of Senegal on the successful and peaceful conduct of the presidential election, noting that the scenario of successful elections in West African countries is a sign of hope that democracy has come to stay in the sub-region.
While wishing the Senegalese people peace, stability and progress, President Buhari looked forward to working with President Sall to advance existing bilateral cooperation in various fields for the benefits of their citizens.
At the sub-regional level, the Nigerian leader expressed readiness to partner with his Senegalese counterpart to achieve greater progress in the economic, governance, peace, security and humanitarian fields.
Sall’s opponents, Seck, who came second and Ousmane Sonko, who placed third with 16 percent, said in a joint statement: “We firmly and full heartedly reject these results. [Sall] has disregarded the will of the people.”
“We will not make an appeal to the constitutional council,” they added, without specifying what their next move might be.
More than 66 percent of 6.7 million registered voters took part in the election.