Jonatan’s kinsmen defend his position on 2015
elections
Ex-President Goodluck
Jonathan’s kinsmen under the aegis of Ogbia Political Forum in Bayelsa rose to
his defense following criticisms that greeted his interview in a new book
entitled‘Against the Run of Play’.
The book was authoured
by ThisDay editorial board chairman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi.
In the book Jonathan was
said to have spoken about those who worked against him during the 2015 general
elections.
In a statement on
Thursday by the President of Ogbia Political Forum, Chief Azibaodusi Aduba, the
group said they stood by what Jonathan said stressing that many local and
international forces took an unusual interest in the last elections to the
ex-President’s detriment.
Aduba also accused
President Muhammadu Buhari of confirming Jonathan’s explanation when he thanked
the international community for their roles in the elections while receiving a
European envoy in 2015.
“Our attention has been
drawn to excerpts from Segun Adeniyi’s new book entitled ‘Against the Run of
Play’ as published by some media agencies, especially with the widespread
reactions and comments from a section of the public.
“While we do not have
the full details of the interview with former President Goodluck Jonathan which
formed part of the book, we are atleast delighted that the ex-President is
finally coming out with the details of what transpired in the build up, during
and immediately after the 2015 general elections.
“We are aware that some
people are already dismissive of the interview, pretending to be roiled by what
they describe as an attempt by Jonathan to clean up his image.
“Such people would
prefer that Jonathan remains silent while the forces of evil continue to heap
odium on his image and public records, despite all he did to preserve our
democratic institutions and ensure that peace reigns in our dear fatherland.
“We however do not find
anything new in what has come out so far from the book, as all that Jonathan
was quoted to have said pertaining to national and international conspiracy
against him during the 2015 elections, were well known to all and sundry.
“Those details then, and
have continued to remain in the public domain.
“This same group of
people are now savagely criticising the former President for the mere mention
of the fact that Americans and few other world powers took unusual interest in
the 2015 elections, in the bid to frustrate his re-election bid.
“If anything, the former
President had merely reaffirmed the obvious, as it is no secret that his
signing of the anti-gay bill into law brought down the full weight of the
Barack Obama administration on the Jonathan Government, with the intention of
forcing a regime change.
“It is instructive that
President Muhammadu Buhari himself confirmed this when he openly thanked the
United States, Britain and the European Union for the roles they played in the
outcome of the 2015 elections.
“This was while hosting
the Italian envoy to Nigeria, Ambassador Fulvio Rustico, in 2015. The question
is, if it was cool for Buhari to express gratitude to those that helped him
during the last general elections, why then will it be a sin for Jonathan to
say the same thing from his own standpoint.
“There is no doubt that
there are so many people given to duplicity in this country, and it appears
such hypocrites are always lying in wait to pounce on the former President
whenever he speaks about his time in office.
“Our own position is
that the former President had kept quiet for too long. He should no longer
continue to sacrifice his God-given right to free speech, just because some
people in certain quarters are still baying for his blood for reasons best
known to them.
“It was our great
nationalist of blessed memory Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who said that “In all times,
every allusion to falsehood must be promptly effectively discountenanced. Any
failure to do so will create danger to society given the extremely vulnerable
nature if its members” the group stated.
The group said that
ex-President Jonathan needs to speak more forcefully and frequently in defence
of his legacies, otherwise the loud voice of his enemies will constitute the
false narrative that may go down in history in his name.
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