 |
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on
Saturday said nobody convinced him to concede defeat to President
Muhammadu Buhari after the 2015 presidential poll.
Jonathan, who spoke at the 4th, 8th and
2nd combined convocation and 10th anniversary of Bingham University,
Nasarawa State, stressed that he willingly relinquished power because no
blood of any Nigerian was worth his political ambition.
The former president and an ex-military
Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), were honoured with a Doctor of
Letters by the university on Saturday.
In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor of
the university, Prof. Kursim Leonard-Fwa, said the institution recorded
19 first class, 486 second class upper, 856 second class lower, 213
third class degree students.
While delivering his speech, Jonathan
said, “The single act (of conceding defeat) I displayed has already
begun having effects on global politics as world leaders now willingly
concede defeat to their opponents when they lose elections.
“Let me make it very clear, nobody
within or outside the country persuaded me to do that. I know it is the
right thing to do. My ambition is not worth the blood of Nigerians. It
was not just a political slogan.”
The former President said the current
economic challenges were temporary, adding that the country would
overcome them with the help of its citizens.
Jonathan said he convened the 2014 National Conference to unite the country and prevent the tension and crisis in the polity.
He said, “One of the reasons why I
convened the 2014 National Conference was to come up with a polity
devoid of tensions and crisis, a polity that will bring unity to this
country, one that will not divide us along tribal, ethnic, and religious
line.
“It is my belief that no one’s political
ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian and I am fulfilled knowing
that conceding defeat, while the votes were still being compiled, was
borne out of my personal principle and conviction generating positive
impact on other nations.”
He added, “I have seen politicians,
whose children study and live abroad, mobilise children of others as
thugs during elections. They don’t care whether they die or not. This is
against human dignity. We should fulfil our vows as a nation of great
people who love and respect one another.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment
PLEASE BE POLITE