Jonathan - Over 9,000 Nigerians would have died if Jonathan didn’t admit defeat in 2015

The Chairman of Leadership Newspapers Group and former presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Sam Nda-Isaiah has stated that no fewer than 10,000 Nigerians would have died if former President, Goodluck Jonathan didn’t concede defeat in the 2015 presidential election.

On March 31, 2015, the then incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan called his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari to concede defeat even before final results were announced by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain said Senator Ben Bruce, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, the then Director General of the Department of State Security, Ita Ekpenyong, former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka and a handful of others encouraged the former President to concede defeat against the wishes of persons he described as “criminals who wanted Jonathan to rig the election no matter how many people would die as a result.”

Nda-Isaiah made these revelations at the Leadership Awards with the theme: “Democracy, Political Transition And The Challenge of Leadership in Africa” in Abuja, just as he added that the former president’s singular action, made it easier for several state governors to concede defeat.

Nda-Isaiah said “something else was happening on that day. President Goodluck Jonathan told then Senator-elect Ben Bruce and other party faithful who saw him that Monday morning that he would be conceding. Some of the party faithful didn’t understand what he meant because that had never happened before. He went on to say that if he didn’t concede, 10,000 Nigerians would die by the end of that day.

“Ben Bruce encouraged him. Others who played major roles in encouraging him included Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Ita Ekpenyong, the then DSS DG and Osita Chidoka, the then Minister of Aviation and a handful of others. These people had to battle the criminals who wanted Jonathan to rig the election no matter how many people would die as a result.”

“President Muhammadu Buhari also became the first opposition candidate to unseat a sitting president. Before it was done, nobody thought that was possible.

“I know many Nigerians, including many serving in government today, who said that day would never come. PMB’s victory has also changed presidential politics in Nigeria forever,” Nda-Isaiah said.