Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has alleged that former President, Goodluck Jonathan betrayed the PDP in Bayelsa because the federal gove
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has alleged that former President, Goodluck Jonathan betrayed the PDP in Bayelsa because the federal government is “blackmailing him” over malabo issue.
Lamido in an interview with The Sun newspaper, said this in reaction to calls by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to punish Jonathan for his perceived support for All Progressive Congress (APC) during Bayelsa governorship election. After INEC announced APC candidate, David Lyon as winner of the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa, Jonathan received APC chieftains at his residence in Otuoke.
He said, “I can’t imagine a former president selling his own state to the opposition — to the very party which called him names, which demonized him. But I am not in support of the calls for the suspension of the ex-president over his perceived support for David Lyon. People have done worse than Jonathan… betrayal is the hallmark of the PDP.
“To me Jonathan is a creation of an accident hoisted by Obasanjo on Nigeria. I really don’t talk about him as somebody who should be punished for what he did. It doesn’t make sense. What I am saying is that people have done worse than Jonathan. People who are senior to him, people who are more elderly than Jonathan and who offer bigger option than Jonathan. Naturally, it is his home state, otherwise he is simply copying from his political elders and leaders.
“To me, when you say PDP, 80 per cent of the stronghold of APC is PDP; you know it. Anybody who was anything in the National Assembly between 1999 to 2015 was PDP. Anybody who was anything today in Government House was PDP. So, to me, betrayal is part of the hallmark of the party. Tell me anybody who has not betrayed PDP? Anybody you can think who PDP had honoured and dignified and made, who PDP invented that has not come to hurt PDP.”
Continuing on Jonathan, Lamido said, “They are holding him by the balls. Because he (Jonathan) sure knows his problem with Buhari and with this government. And the issue of Malabo, I think, played a key role, I said so. So, the election were won and lost by PDP. PDP history, PDP tradition and Jonathan were behind him. That I can say anywhere because the issue of Malabo is an issue I know very well. I had cause to discuss it with him.
“While he was the president and I was in office, I went and told him about it. I told him and I also gave a radio interview to an FM in Abuja, which Daily Triumph picked, where they said a minister under Jonathan got almost 150 million dollars Malabo scam – Governor Lamido. And when Reuben Abati came to debunk it or to abuse me, I went to Reuben Abati, I know what I am saying, can we go to the Villa, I discussed this with Jonathan. I told him about it. Let us go. hat I am saying is that obviously because the leadership of the APC and the government are blackmailing Jonathan and I think I can say it anywhere that he traded this for his own freedom.”
