The Presidency on Tuesday revealed why former President Goodluck Jonathan worked against the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa state.
Recall that the opposition party at the weekend accused the former president of teaming up with the ruling party against his party to avoid prosecution by the All Progressives Congress led federal government.
The forum in a statement issued on Sunday by its Chairman, Chief Benson Odoko, claimed that Jonathan used the Bayelsa poll to negotiate with President Muhammadu Buhari not to prosecute him for alleged corruption.
Reacting to the development, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, described the PDP elders’ claims as “false.”
While addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Shehu noted that Jonathan had been out of power for almost five years, without any previous allegations of government blackmail cropping up.
According to him, Jonathan had enough reasons to work against the PDP in the Bayelsa elections without interference by President Buhari.
The statement read: “Anyone who has been following the politics of Bayelsa State should be aware of the sour relationship between Dr. Jonathan and the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson.
“That’s more than enough reason for the former President to decide to work against his party, if indeed he did. We really must stop this habit of blaming President Buhari for everything, including issues that are not his business.
“It just doesn’t make any sense, Our media really must learn to verify whatever they publish. And people who make wild allegations during interviews should be made to produce the facts backing their claims by editors. A newspaper can be sued for granting space to people who belch false allegations against individuals with no proof.”