The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday told State House correspondents in Abuja that he was shocked when the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, called him before the 2015 Presidential election was concluded to concede defeat.

At a launch with the reporters, president Buhari again commended the former President for the decision which he said came as a surprise to him.

“When he made that famous call at 4:45 pm and said ‘Good evening Mr. President, I have called to congratulate you and I concede defeat’, I was silent for quite a while because I was surprised and he said ‘did you hear me?’ ” President Buhari said.

Dr Jonathan had called Mr Buhari to congratulate him on his victory, requesting that he should make out time to visit the Presidential Villa for talks on the transitional process.

Mr Buhari further said: “For someone who was a Deputy Governor, a Governor, a Vice President and a President for six years to concede that easily showed his great sense of patriotism.”

He also pointed out that the former President was a member of a party that was at the helms of affairs for 16 years.

“For him to still go ahead and concede was definitely not an easy decision.”

The President, however, described his experience in the villa during the hand over, as different from what he envisaged, maintaining that his administration did not meet any money on ground.

He also told the reporters that he would carefully work with the judiciary and the international community in the recovery of looted funds to ensure that all monies stolen by the past administration are fully recovered. (Channels TV)

•Photo shows Buhari and Jonathan.