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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described as “false, malicious, preposterous and unnecessary” reports attributed to a group, Bayelsa APC Elders Council, claiming that he was lobbying the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to nominate a Minister designate from the state.
Jonathan in a statement by his Special Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze while noting that he would have ignored the claims of the “shadowy characters” behind the report stated that genuine concerns raised by Nigerians on the dangers of innocent Nigerians believing the report has made him to categorically declared that the claims are untrue.
According to him, those behind the report may have wrongly misinterpreted the visit to Aso- Rock in respect of President Tinubu’s new role as ECOWAS Chairman, as lobbying for ministerial slots.
He stated that no amount of falsehood by ignorant politicians would diminish the status of President Jonathan who has been acknowledged across the world as a selfless and exemplary leader.
The statement read in part:
“We state without equivocation that the authors of the hackery who are quick to spin such unfounded narrative could neither provide any clarification on the nature of the alleged consultations nor name the beneficiary of the envisaged nomination. We can only guess that a handful of faltering low-profile politicians might have wrongly misinterpreted Jonathan’s recent visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, even when the former President, who is ECOWAS mediator in Mali and Chairman of ECOWAS Council of the Wise, clearly explained that he had gone to brief President Bola Tinubu, who has just been elected as the Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, on the recent developments in the sub-region.
“The publication is simply a tactless ramble by some benighted politicians seeking to draw attention to their hopeless plight by raising malicious allegations against the former President. However, they have failed in this bid because most astute politicians within and outside Bayelsa State are well aware of Jonathan’s selfless and exemplary disposition to politics and statesmanship. Such people will never subscribe to the cheap blackmail from the so-called Bayelsa APC Elders Council.
“Why do we think that their futile antics sounded familiar? It is because the spurious allegation seems to have been cut out of the same worn fabric woven by those unfortunate politicians who regularly hurled the most acerbic missiles at Dr Jonathan, while he was in office as President.
“Today, they remain pitiable characters because all their efforts to sully the reputation of the former President have been in vain, as his image has continued to soar both locally and internationally.
“While we once again dismiss the claim as untrue, we advise Nigerians to ignore mischief makers and their web of fake news because of the danger they pose to the peace and healthy growth of our nation.”
