As Nigerians and the international
community continue to praise President
Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat
to his main challenger, Muhammadu
Buhari, in the March 28 presidential
election, PREMIUM TIMES has received
exclusive details of how the president
took the decision of making the historic
concession telephone call to Mr. Buhari.
Reliable officials, knowledgeable about
the drama that unfolded at the
presidential villa that March 31, said Mr.
Jonathan was pulled by two contending
forces: loyalists who kept pressuring him
to concede defeat and congratulate Mr.
Buhari, and hawks who insisted he and
his party should strongly challenge the
APC candidate’s victory.
Our sources said even before collation
began at the headquarters of the
Independent National Electoral
Commission in Abuja, Mr. Jonathan had
indicated he would accept whatever
outcome once the election is considered
free and fair.
But while the President was on the verge
of keeping that promise, some “hawks” in
the presidency and the party rushed to
the first family’s official residence to
warn him against any “hasty decision”.
“They were telling the president that a
lot of options were still open, and that
the game was not over,” one of our
sources said. “They were doing all
manners of analyses, and assuring the
president that ultimately, he would
triumph.”
“At a point the president became
confused and it was clear the forces
opposed to the president’s decision to
concede victory was gaining control. As
some of them were talking to the
president in the villa, others who were
far away were calling the President on
telephone. The president was in a
dilemma.”
Another presidential aide said while in
that state of confusion, the President
invited the Minister of Aviation, Osita
Chidoka, to ask his opinion.
Those who overheard the conversation
between the two men said Mr. Chidoka
begged the president to disregard any
contrary counsel and quickly concede
defeat.
“Mr. President, I can tell you that by
congratulating Buhari, you would have
done the unthinkable and history will
surely be kind to you,” a presidential
aide quoted the aviation minister as
saying.
Our sources said as the President and
Mr. Chidoka conversed, the Minister of
Justice, Mohammed Adoke, arrived.
“He quickly joined Osita (the aviation
minister) in appealing to the President
to ignore those advising him not to
concede defeat,” a witness said. “In fact,
I saw Adoke and Osita kneeling before
the president in deference and begging
him to take the right decision in the
interest of the country.”
Our sources said at this point, Mr.
Jonathan appeared convinced. But more
calls came in from people believed to be
opposed to any concession move, and
the president became confused again.
At that point, the Minister of Finance,
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, arrived, and she
quickly joined the party working to
convince Mr. Jonathan to make the
historic call.
While Mr. Adoke departed shortly after
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala’s arrival, the finance
minister and her aviation counterpart
continued to appeal to the President to
make the right decision.
At a point, the Special Assistant to the
President on Domestic Matters,
Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, joined the party.
He reportedly knelt before the president,
held his hand, and said, “You need to
congratulate Buhari now sir. I think you
should leave this place on May 29
holding your head high.”
Mr. Dudafa then offered to place a call to
Mr. Buhari so the President could speak
with him. Mr. Jonathan agreed.
So at about 5:15 p.m. that March 31,
Mr. Jonathan spoke to Mr. Buhari,
congratulating him for his victory in the
presidential election.
At 5:27 p.m., Mr. Chidoka, while still at
the presidential villa, tweeted, “President
Jonathan congratulates Gen. Buhari in a
phone call this evening.”
He further tweeted, “President Jonathan
will address the nation after a meeting
with PDP officials.
“President Jonathan is a democrat by
instinct, he has expanded the civic space
and entrenched genuine democracy. A
great future awaits him as sets a
continental example on the essence of
democracy.
“President Jonathan, by refusing to be
an African Big Man, has indeed become
an African role model. Soon when
emotions subside, the story of Pres.
Jonathan’s stubborn commitment to
democracy and peace will be told.”
When contacted Monday, Mr. Chidoka
said he was not prepared to discuss
what transpired at the president’s
residence on the day of the historic
concession call.
Mrs. Okonjo Iweala could not be reached
for comments. Calls to her
spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, did not
connect.
With presidential election results from
all but one of Nigeria’s 36 states
counted, and Mr. Buhari, clearly in
unassailable lead, President Jonathan
had telephoned the APC candidate to
concede defeat.
At the time the call was made, INEC was
yet to declare Mr. Buhari winner because
it was still expecting results from
Nigeria’s remote Borno State.
By the time the Borno vote was added to
the tally, Mr. Buhari garnered 15,416,221
votes to Mr. Jonathan’s 12,853, 162
votes.
The historic concession telephone call
defused tension across Nigeria and has
thrown up Mr. Jonathan as a democracy
hero.
That conversation is believed to have
saved Nigeria from descending into
violence in the aftermath of the election.
In a nationwide broadcast after INEC
officially declared Mr. Buhari winner,
President Jonathan told Nigerians he
kept his pledge to deliver a credible
election.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/
headlines/180750-revealed-the-men-and-
woman-who-pressured-jonathan-to-concede-
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