Jona’s Metamorphosis: Recall That Six Years Ago, APC Stalwarts Wanted Jonathan Arrested
The Oasis Reporters
April 28, 2022
It’s one of the ironies of life that former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who willingly waved his rights to contest the badly compromised elections by INEC through underaged voting and other malpractices that made him lose, is today, six years after being begged by the All Progressive Congress, APC to abandon his People’s Democratic Party, PDP to join them and contest for office again.
Read this news item we brought from the archives six years ago to get the point being made about ‘Jonathan’s Metamorphosis’:
Leave Jonathan, Face Murderous Herdsmen And Sliding Economy – Northern CAN Tells Buhari
April 26, 2016
April 26, (THEWILL) – The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Northern Zone, has counselled President Muhammadu Buhari against plans to arrest former President Goodluck Jonathan, but focus his energy in arresting the menace of marauding herdsmen, dwindling power supply and the economy.
In a statement on Tuesday, signed by Rev. Joseph Hayab, CAN’s Public Relation Officer in the 19 northern states and the FCT, the group declared that calls for the arrest of Jonathan were coming from mischievous Nigerians aimed at throwing the country into chaos.
“Every honest Nigerian knows that the feelers on the ground is that this administration’s popularity is dwindling rapidly amongst the Nigerian people,” the statement read.
“It is therefore not advisable to think or plan to arrest former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Let me warn that such a misadventure will set a wrong precedent and only open the door for mischief to set this nation into confusion.
“What Nigerians need urgently is availability of fuel, electricity, prompt salary payment, security of lives and property, among others.
“If the purported plan to arrest him (Jonathan) is to please the international community and prove to them that we are fighting corruption, then let us know that the same international community are busy celebrating him as hero of democracy and even those who seriously wanted him to go for a change to happen are now singing a new song about him.
“Former President Jonathan is deservedly seen in Nigeria and beyond as a hero of democracy because of his actions before, during and after the 2015 elections.
“As such, it will be curious, nay, I’ll advice the Buhari administration not to initiate the arrest of such a statesman at this time within the current realities.
“Our government must know that there are individuals serving today that have also been accused of corruption, but since there are claims that nothing has been established against them, they are walking and speaking like saints.
“While ignoring all these, the Government now wants to arrest a man of peace like Jonathan? CAN Northern States wish to advise that such an action, if actualized, has the capacity to lead to serious confusion that will affect Nigeria, economically and otherwise.
“We believe former President Jonathan deserves praise and should receive gratitude from those in power today not scorn.
“Let it not be that if this purported planned arrest is meant to distract Nigerians from speaking or complaining about the reality of what and how they are feeling since the past eleven months. We are afraid that such an action may spark a chain reaction.
“If our President wants to arrest anything for now then he should arrest the incessant spate of herdsmen attacks in Nigeria which has led to the deaths of almost a thousand innocent Nigerians under his watch.
“He should arrest the dangerous slide in the power sector; he should arrest the slide in the economy.
“We believe at this time and with the current realities our former president must not be denigrated but honoured, because honour must be given to whom it is due.”
Story by David Oputah”.
What more needs to be said ?
The murderous herdsmen terrorizing Nigerians have been deodorized as ‘bandits’ and have been over pampered with mega millions in ransom payments which they lavish on drugs, more deadly weapons and other vices.
Lives have been disrupted and Nigerians can no longer travel in safety and with peace of mind. Yet, the government has failed to reassure Nigerians that they can tackle this menace.
They thus intend to bring Jonathan back, whereas the former president’s party are thinking in a fresh direction.
Like Jonathan once said, ‘you can win an election with propaganda. Governing with propaganda is another ball game altogether’.
Greg Abolo.
With David Oputah and THEWILL
