FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has taken a swipe at people he called mischief-makers over allegations that he influenced the choice of Bayelsa State’s ministerial nominee.
Speaking in a statement signed by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, the former President said he broke his silence over the allegation in order not to create the impression that those accusing him were actually right.
According to him, the choice of who is picked from Bayelsa State to become a minister is something that he never bothered himself with.
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The former President said he is too busy with international and continental assignments to engage in street talks over a ministerial slot for Bayelsa State.
According to him, who represents Bayelsa State in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet is the business of the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He noted that his traducers always seek to make themselves relevant by linking his name to their schemes.
Jonathan said his image transcends Bayelsa politics just as he advised those seeking to be taken seriously by dropping his name to get busy with other things.
“Our attention has been drawn to a strange allegation in the media claiming that former President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is seeking to nominate a minister from Bayelsa State for the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We would have ordinarily ignored the falsehood, given that neither the authors, who are shadowy characters, nor their nebulous organisation, Bayelsa APC Elders Council, which is unknown to the structure of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, command any credibility. However, we have continued to receive calls from friends and well-wishers who are concerned that some innocent Nigerians might be misled by the duplicitous fabrication, hence this rebuttal.
“We state without equivocation that the publication is false, malicious, preposterous and unnecessary. It is instructive 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. Howbeit, 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”, the state
