Nigerian President congratulates Mills

Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has congratulated Ghana's president-elect John Atta-Millsand, saying that his election has once again allayed insinuations on Africa's competence to conduct a hitch-free democratic election.

This Day reported on Sunday that Yar'Adua, in a message delivered to Atta-Mills by Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana Musiliu Obanikoro, said with the manner in which Ghana resolved the stalemate on the election, the country has done the entire African continent proud.

Obanikoro told Atta-Mills from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) "I am highly delighted to congratulate you on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the good people of Nigeria for this hard won victory. As Africans, Ghana has done us proud."

"We hope and pray that the spirit with which the election has been fought and won will be nurtured and promoted not only in Ghana, but also in West Africa," he said.

John Atta-Mills was declared winner of Ghana's presidential run-off on Dec. 28 2008 by the Electoral Commission on Saturday.

Commission chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan said the results showed that Mills won 50.23 percent of the votes against 49.77 percent for the ruling New Patriotic Party's candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.