Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, (APC
Kebbi), has revealed how he and former National Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, Adamu Mu’azu persuaded former President Goodluck
Jonathan to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
Senator Na’Allah said that the
story of events that led to the conceding of defeat to Buhari “were
inaccurately stated” by Jonathan in his new book, My Transition Hours.
The lawmaker told Daily Mail,
“Mu’azu called me saying from the intelligence report we got, we have lost this
election. So, I want you to come to Abuja and persuade Jonathan to concede
defeat for the sake of peace.”
According to him, he arrived
Abuja that fateful day and went to Mu’azu’s house where he met Buhari Bala,
former treasurer of PDP, Inuwa Baba, and Ambassador Sani Saulawa.
Na’Allah said the former PDP
chairman drove them to the Presidential Villa.
“At the Villa, we met former
Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, Jonathan’s special assistant on domestic
matters, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, and his ADC Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe.
“At the Villa, Adamu Mu’azu asked
‘where is the president,’ and Chidoka answered that he was having a meeting
with the Attorney General Mohammed Adoke.
“While we are standing there for
about 15 minutes, Adamu Mu’azu ordered that he should be served tea. As the tea
man was coming with the tea, Adoke alighted from a room holding a file and came
straight to Adamu Mu’azu and said ‘we will not allow this to happen.’ We
exchanged pleasantries and he hurriedly left.
“Then, President Jonathan invited
us (Mu’azu and Na’Allah) into a room. When we got into the room, we barely
settled when Jonathan looked at Mu’azu and said ‘Mr Chairman, the numbers
coming out so far do not appear to be encouraging.’
“It was at that stage that I cut
in and said, yes, Mr President, we only have Oyo waiting. And even if the
entire Oyo gives PDP the entire votes, the elections have already been lost.
The next thing is how to handle the remaining parts of the transition. And I am
of the opinion that God has given you the golden opportunity to write your name
in gold.
“Then, Jonathan pointed to about
five boxes in that room, and said ‘these are my things and I have started
packing’,” he narrated.
Na’Allah said Jonathan then gave
them a long story of how he became a deputy governor in Bayelsa, then vice
president, and later president and how he was serving his second term, saying
he will never be part of anything that will bring problems into Nigeria.
The senator said it was at the
end of that meeting that Jonathan told them that “if my fault is that I have
not jailed people, let Buhari come and jail whoever he wants to jail.”
He said as they were leaving the
room, “Ahmadu Ali came in looking disturbed. And got into the same room we met
Jonathan. We then left.
“About three hours later, we were
sitting down with Mu’azu, Ambassador Saulawa, and Inuwa Baba, when the breaking
news came that Jonathan had put a call to Buhari as president-elect. And we all
jubilated and left.”
The senator said for Jonathan to
completely leave that aspect from his book, “to me, is like he inaccurately
told the story of what happened on that day. And, I think, it is not fair that
this fundamental aspect be left aside. It is not for Bala Na’Allah but for
history and Nigeria.”
According to Na’Allah, he was
also disturbed by another aspect of Jonathan’s account where he said, in page
76 of his book, that he was in his leaving room with some of his aides and
ministers, “…and they were recommending sundry alternatives.”
“Nigerians are entitled to know
what were these recommendations. This is because it is only when we know these
recommendations that we will know whether the decision he took was as a result
of our advice or the sundry issues they have recommended.
“One thing, I am sure is,
President Jonathan will not deny the fact we were the first to meet him over
this matter.”
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