In an interview, former President Goodluck Jonathan discussed the risks he encountered while in office and explained why, during a tense time before the 2015 general elections, he rejected security advice to leave the State House….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
According to Jonathan, there were constant hints of coup plans and assassination attempts against him in the intelligence reports of the period. He vehemently rejected security officers’ advice to relocate to a guest house for extra security. The former president clarified that he might have been subject to more dangers had he left the State House, especially the potential for any attack to be turned into a political narrative. He claimed that in addition to his own safety, he was afraid of how adversaries may sway public opinion if he were hurt outside the official house.
Jonathan underlined that the political climate at the time was exceedingly volatile, with stability being threatened by profound regional and religious divisions. He felt that by remaining inside the State House, he was maintaining transparency and physical security, reducing the possibility of conspiracies or false information harming his legacy and presidency. “It’s better if you kill me in the State House so Nigerians will know that they assassinated me there,” Jonathan recalled, recalling his thinking at the time. I hadn’t done anything wrong….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
