FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that he was advised to vacate the presidential villa as vice president for his safety, arising from rumours over a possible coup d’etat.
He said during that time, some friends urged him to vacate the presidential villa for his life.
He made the revelation about the circumstances surrounding his assumption of power during the late Yar’Adua’s prolonged illness in an interview with the Rainbow Book Club. The interview was about his memoir, ‘My Transition Hours.’
Jonathan revealed that even before the doctrine of necessity was invoked, some friends advised him to avoid sleeping at his official residence due to coup fears, suggesting he stay at a safer location instead.
“I said, ‘No.’ I will stay in the state house. If anybody wants to kill me, you should kill me in the state house, so Nigerians will know that they assassinated me in the state house. They know I have not committed any offence.
“If I go and stay in your guest house and people kill me there, they will now say Indian girls brought apples to kill me. And I wouldn’t want that kind of story,” he stated.
The former President claimed he remained calm and unruffled despite the intense pressure, saying he wasn’t bothered by the coup rumours and tensions surrounding him.
He also revealed that late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua signed a letter authorising him to take over in his absence, but a key aide allegedly kept the document from the National Assembly (NASS).
Recall that Yar’Adua’s prolonged absence without transferring power created a political crisis in Nigeria.
Jonathan recalled the period and described it as extremely turbulent, characterised by heightened ethnic and religious tensions and a severe constitutional crisis that threatened Nigeria’s democracy.
He stated that the power tussle worsened after Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo, due to an informal agreement that the presidency should remain in the north for eight years before rotating again.
He further pointed out that Yar’Adua’s health issues sparked the problem, making it contentious for him to assume acting powers.
He added that as vice president, he was caught in a constitutional dilemma, unable to fully exercise presidential powers or command the armed forces.
“That letter was written. But the person to whom the letter was handed over — I will not mention the name — refused to submit it to the national assembly. Yar’Adua became so ill that he had no control over issues,” Jonathan stated.
Jonathan stated that as vice president, he could perform some executive duties but couldn’t act as commander-in-chief without a formal power transfer, which was a challenge to him.
He explained that the Nigerian president has two key roles: chief executive, which the vice president can assume, and another role that requires formal authority.
“But there was no commander-in-chief, and there’s nothing like acting commander-in-chief. You are either a commander-in-chief or not.”
The former president recalled that the uncertainty over power transfer threw Nigeria into constitutional limbo, forcing the National Assembly to invoke the doctrine of necessity to make him acting president.
He added that the country was on edge, with daily coup rumours worsening existing north-south and Christian-Muslim tensions.
A reporter with the ICIR
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