Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said several allegations of corruption levelled against him by the current administration would have killed his political career in 2015.
Jonathan narrated how officials of the Buhari’s administration alleged that he and some members of his former cabinet were corrupt but God vindicated him.
The former president disclosed this in his speech at the presentation of “Dear President Goodluck Jonathan”, a book written in his honour by the former managing editor of Daily Times Bonaventure Melah.
Jonathan averred that he’s grateful to God that the wrong perception about him is gradually changing.
He said; “That is the problem myself and some members of my cabinet are still suffering since the beginning this administration when we were all tagged, corrupt people.
“But I thank God that people can come together to celebrate me today. It is God. Otherwise, I would have been completely buried (politically).”
He also recalled how he was advised to sack Aruma Oteh as the director-general of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2012 to avoid trouble with the House of Representatives who she (Oteh) accused of being corrupt.
Jonathan said; “When my close political allies, advised me to sacrifice Arunma Oteh so that I don’t have problems with the House of Representatives.
“I said I won’t sacrifice any Nigerian just for me to be in the good books of the lawmakers. Rather, I would sacrifice myself. I took that decision because I was convinced she was not corrupt.
“If I had sacked her undeservedly that may have been the end of her career with the World Bank.”
The former President however denied sacking Azubuike Ihejirika as chief of army staff “because of pressures from the North.”
He said; “When a president or a governor sacks a person. Sometimes, what society thinks could be the reason for that decision may be very different from reality.
“There were insinuations that I sacked Ihejirika because of pressures from the North. Far from it! If somebody is going the right thing, even if you want to split my head, I would not sack the person.”
