FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has described a book by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, as “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.
The quotation by Jonathan was taken from a book by Shakespeare in his reaction to what transpired during the 2015 presidential election, which he lost to the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan picked what appeared to be several holes in the book.
In a statement signed on his behalf by one of his aides, Jonathan described Abduallhi as a “liar”.
The statement, titled: “Bolaji Abdullahi Has Exposed His Book As a Tissue of Lies and Himself as a Liar,” reads in full:
Two months ago when I got details of the contents of the book by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, I described him as a liar and his book as a tissue of lies meant to defame former President Jonathan as the 2019 elections draw near and the yearning for a return to the years when the Peoples Democratic Party governed Nigeria reaches fever pitch.
Now that the book is out, I can prove those claims and challenge Mr. Abdullahi to sue me in court for libel or defamation if I have lied.
In Bolaji Abdullahi’s new book, ‘On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria’, he alleges that former President Jonathan, after calling to concede to then candidate Muhammadu Buhari, reneged on his concession by calling a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party elite at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, with the sole aim of getting the party to reject the results of the election he had conceded.
In the book, Mr. Abdullahi revealed that he was basing this claim on the hearsay report of an unnamed South South Governor, and wrote, and I quote:
“One South-South governor disclosed that this banquet hall meeting was not the president’s original idea. He said soon after the president made the telephone call to Buhari, some governors had gone to him to express their reservations about it. They felt he had conceded too cheaply. Their argument was that if the president and the party had rejected the outcome of the election, they would have gained a stronger platform to negotiate their exit.”
Abdullahi further said: “Present at the meeting were Vice President, Namadi Sambo; Senate President David Mark and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu; as well as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, who had also just contested and lost the governorship election in Imo State and was challenging the results. Others included: the People’s Democratic Party Board of Trustees Chairman, Tony Anenih; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke; Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. All members of PDP National Working Committee (NWC) were also present, led by the party chairman, Adamu Mu’azu. The meeting was chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan.”
In the book, Mr. Abdullahi revealed that this meeting held “four days” after the election on a Tuesday Evening . – Eagle Online
