Former President Goodluck Jonathan
By Victory Oghene
Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said he lost the 2015 Presidential Election due to betrayal within his political circle.
Jonathan disclosed this on Thursday at the 70th birthday ceremony of the former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe.
He recalled the 2015 episode, linking his loss to betrayals.
Recall that Jonathan who sought a second term re-election at the time, lost to the candidate of the then newly formed All Progressives Congress, Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
Ahead of the official announcement of the poll results by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Jonathan conceded defeat by pulling a call through to Buhari to congratulate him as the winner of the poll. He later explained that he conceded defeat to avoid bloodshed in the country.
Describing Ogiadomhe, who once served as his Chief of Staff, as a loyal ally, Jonathan said loyalty was a rare thing in the Nigerian political space.
The ex-President said, “I became President, then post-Presidency, one of the few friends who would give up their necks for me is Mike. You know politics in the Nigerian standard is about betrayals.
“You find it difficult to see somebody who will say the same thing in the morning and in the evening. I’ve witnessed a lot of betrayals, especially in my 2015 elections, and Mike is somebody who would take a bullet on my behalf.
“He is somebody that you can take his word to the bank, but most other politicians, you cannot take their words to the bank. They will tell you something, the next hour they are saying another.”
