President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his victory in the parliamentary election.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday, Buhari extended best wishes to the people of the State of Israel in the aftermath of the successful conclusion of the poll.
The Nigerian leader, who also wished them peace, progress and stability, said he looked forward to continue to work with the Israeli Prime Minister to strengthen existing cordial and mutually-beneficial relations between the two countries.
Buhari wished Netanyahu a successful new term in office and prayed that his record fifth term would bring enduring peace and security to the Middle East.
Netanyahu had, last week, won the national election, securing a record fifth term in office despite running neck-and-neck with his challenger Benny Gantz.
The closely contested race was widely seen in Israel as a referendum on Netanyahu’s character and record in the face of corruption allegations. He faces possible indictment in three graft cases, and has denied wrongdoing in all of them.
The veteran right-wing leader’s Likud party and Gantz’s new centrist Blue and White party both won 35 seats, according to the Knesset website and the Israeli TV channels. That would mean a five-seat gain for Likud.
“It is a night of colossal victory,” the 69-year-old Netanyahu told cheering supporters in a late-night speech at Likud headquarters, while cautioning that a “long night and possibly day” lay ahead awaiting official results.
Fireworks flared behind him as his wife Sara applauded and kissed him. “He’s a magician,” the crowd chanted.
Final results were expected by Friday, though the provisional results showed 65 of the Knesset’s 120 seats would go to the right-wing bloc of parties led by Netanyahu, against a total of 55 seats for centre-left factions.
Netanyahu, 69, is on track to be the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s 71-year history. He said he had already begun talks with prospective coalition allies.
He had a first term in the 1990s and then returned to power in 2009.
NAN
