Kufuor urges Nigerians to exercise restraint

Accra, April 26, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday urged all sides in the Nigerian elections to exercise restraint and accept the constitutional process as the only means to resolve issues related to the electoral process.

A release signed by Mr Andrew Awuni, press secretary to the President, said President Kufuor appreciated the difficulties and complexities associated with the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria.

"In the transition, all parties committed to upholding the integrity of the greater nation should respect the legal procedures for dealing with whatever complaints they may have," President Kufuor, who is the current Chairman of the African Union said.

The statement disclosed that President Kufuor would leave for Lagos, Nigeria on Friday to join other heads of state in the sub-region to inaugurate a facility of the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project. "Ghana is a shareholder in the project for paying 90 million dollars as equity and is eagerly awaiting gas from the project to solve some of the country's energy problems."

The statement also said President Kufuor's visit to Lagos would afford him the opportunity to get a first hand feel of the situation in Nigeria as he continued his consultations with his colleagues around the continent on the situation.

All opposition parties in Nigeria have denounced the elections under which candidates of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) swept all the polls, including the Presidential race.