Front line elder statesman and deputy leader of Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Wartaregh Paul Unongo, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan was behind his defeat at the March 28 presidential election.
According to Unongo, the defeat of President Jonathan was a product of his political blunders and carelessness in office. Unongo, a one-time Minister of Power and Steel in the Second Republic, made this observation yesterday while addressing newsmen at his Makurdi residence.
He noted that Jonathan and the PDP took Nigerians for granted and they paid dearly for it.
Unongo said: “This I told the president when I honoured his invitation three days to the presidential election. I had gone there with one of my sons, former military administrator of Katsina State and one time senator, Joseph Akaagerger.
“During our conversation, I told him about the numerous mistakes he had made which would cost him his re-election. As we spoke, I saw a different president, because from the manner he spoke with me, he is someone who believes in the Nigeria project.
“I saw a human face in him. This was different from the kind of picture that the people surrounding him presented to Nigerians, which sort of pictured him as an abusive and insensitive president.
“I told him that those presenting him before Nigerians had done great damage to his image and I strongly advised him to take bold steps to redeem his image (though I did not mention conceding defeat) and I can say that Jonathan took my advice.”
The elder statesman, however, submitted that the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari shows that there was hope for the nation.
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