FORMER President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan
insisted, yesterday, that he is not on self-exile
in Côte d’Ivoire as alleged, even as friends
and family asserted that he had no cause to
permanently relocate from the country.
A close political associate, Mr. Yinka
Odumakin, who spoke to Vanguard after
speaking with Dr. Jonathan quoted the former
president thus: “I am not in exile; it is quite
unfortunate that anybody is insinuating that I
am in exile. I am now a private citizen. Since I
left office, this is my second visit to Côte
d’Ivoire; I have gone to so many countries in
recent times as part of my efforts to promote
peace. What I am doing is a global tour since
leaving office, and this is my second visit to
Côte d’Ivoire. It is unfortunate that anybody
should insinuate that I am in exile. I am not in
exile. When I finish what I am doing here, I
will continue my visit all over the world.”
Engr Mike Ogiasa, a relative of the former
president, also reacting to the report said: “it
is not true that the former President is on the
run. We, his kinsmen trust him. When it is
appropriate for him to speak he will speak.
Jonathan has not gone into exile. Everybody
knows a man of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s
calibre will not do that."
Political hue
It also emerged that Dr. Jonathan’s long
absence from the country also had a political
hue as close associates opined, yesterday,
that his absence from the country in the
period leading to the recent congresses and
convention of the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, was deliberate to remove him from the
crisis.
Several political associates of President
Jonathan, who weighed in on the report by a
national daily (not Vanguard), informed that
they had been in communication with him,
with all of them asserting that he did not give
any indication of relocating away from the
country.
Vanguard learnt that Jonathan is visiting Cote
d’Ivoire, from where he would go to another
African country, promoting his soon-to-be-
launched foundation. He is expected to go to
the United States before going to London
deliver a lecture at the London School of
Economics on June 3.
Engr Mike Ogiasa, added: “It is reasonable for
anybody to realize that the former president
will take some time out to write about Nigeria
in a book form. If he is not seen for
sometime, it means he wants a quiet life. I
should expect the former president to take
some time out in a very quiet environment
without any distraction to put his experience
about Nigeria into writing in a book form.”
No Iota of truth in it — Opara
In his reaction, former Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Chief Austin Opara,
said: “I wonder where some sections of the
media are getting such rumours from. I can
tell you confidently that our people in the
South-South are solidly behind him. Why
should he go into exile when his people are
not against him. I can also say confidently
that he was in contact with his political
associates ahead of the last weekend’s
convention in Port-Harcourt. So there is no
iota of truth in the news making rounds that
he has gone into exile.”
He has no reason to do that—Babatope
A former Minister of Transport and member of
the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, Chief
Ebenezer Babatope said: “We are hearing that
as a rumour but it is not confirmed. Former
President Jonathan has no reason to go into
exile. I want to assure you that if Jonathan
goes on exile, then Buhari is in trouble."
Similarly, a source who is close to the ex-
President and also of the same Ijaw ethnic
group with the former leader told Vanguard
that the former President has not gone to
exile but only stayed away from the PDP
convention for obvious reasons.
In an exclusive interview with Vanguard,
another close associate, Senator Nimi
Barigha-Amange said: “I spoke with the
former President on Friday. He told me that
he was going to London to spend some times
with his children. He did not indicate that he
was under any stress and did not tell me that
he was going on exile.
"What he said was that he would have loved
to be at the Peoples Democratic Party
convention in Port Harcourt, but he couldn’t
make it because he needed to be with his
children. He told me that he was in touch with
the leaders of the party across board and
assured me that the crisis in the party would
be resolved. It is not true that he is in exile”
he said.
Senator Amange said the former President
had no reason to go on exile because he
served his country creditably and should be
commended and not condemned.
“The president has no reason to go into exile.
He has not committed any offense. Please
ignore the report about his exile. He will
certainly come back to the country when he is
through with spending time with his children”
he said.
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