Multiple sources have confirmed
to Elombah.com that President
Goodluck Jonathan actually met
with the leaders of the Save
Nigeria Group (SNG) - The
organization that organized
nationwide rallies and led the
struggle to help Jonathan
emerge as President when
former President Umaru
Yar'adua was holed up in a
Saudi hospital for three months
– and the USD 50,000 actually
offered.
On Saturday, 27 November 2010,
Saharareporters carried a report
that President Jonathan last
Monday night received the SNG
leadership in Aso Rock. The SNG
members, led by fiery Lagos
preacher, Pastor Tunde Bakare,
were invited to see Jonathan in a
meeting billed as a way of
reviewing his performance so far
in office.
However, what came as a
surprise was the news that the
President sent the minister of the
Niger Delta, Mr. Godsday
Orubebe, with $50,000, to give
the visitors as “a token for the
group’s transport costs.”
According to the report, Mr.
Bakare fiercely protested against
the “gift,” stating that as a man
of God and conscience of the
nation he would not accept
bribes or any form of
inducement he could not openly
sign for. "The $50,000 cash was
later sent back to Jonathan
through Tony Uranta, one of
Jonathan's political operatives".
Confirming the visit, an SNG
member that accompanied Dr
Bakare to the meeting said: "We
made it clear to the President
the impunity that we marched
against is being condoned left,
right and centre under him; we
also expressed displeasure at his
comment on the Sovereign
National Conference, SNC. We
frowned at the rate the bail outs
to banks are being mopped up
by governments at state and
federal levels as bonds at
atrocious interests thereby
denying businesses access to
such funds".
He continued; "in fairness to the
President, he admitted that he
would not say the media
misquoted him on SNC but
rather it was his fault that he
didn't make himself clear
enough. On the other issues that
we raised, he promised to take
actions on them. I don't want to
disclose the things he said he
would do except we don't see
action in a reasonable time".
Political watchers have described
the invitation to meet as
impulsive, reckless and an act of
desperation. What also surprised
observers and dismayed the
aides of the president was the
reckless manner President
Jonathan opened up to the
visitors.
"Some presidential advisers were
said to have cringed to hear Mr.
Jonathan open up to the SNG
delegation as if he were
discussing with an inner caucus
of associates"
Speaking about his political
chances, Jonathan was said to
have told the SNG delegation
that he did not see how Atiku
could defeat him in the primaries
or how any other opponent
could unseat him in the general
elections. “You can't defeat an
incumbent,” he said, to the
shock of his guests.
When one of his guests
suggested that some state
governors might be deceiving
him regarding his support base,
Mr. Jonathan angrily retorted, “If
I don't want them to sleep in
their beds, they won't sleep. ”
Mr. Jonathan stated that, by the
time anti-corruption agents
checked on a few state
commissioners of finance and
accountants-general, the state
governors would sit up. Jonathan
is believed to have worked on
ensuring that governorship
elections come after that of the
presidency, the timing implies
that he would move against the
governors who undermine his
own ambition.
While decrying the reckless
invitation by the President,
observers also said the graphic
revelations concerning the visit
does Pastor Bakare no good
either.
According to a political insider
that spoke to Elombah.com who
confirmed the meeting: “I have
confirmed the meeting took
place, it doesn't do pastor
Bakare any good either,  Never
trust any of our 'pro democracy'
people, when it comes to cheap
publicity, they have no
scruples, but GEJ is tactless to
have been that open with Bakare
and co who have no electoral
value !”

www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4547:president-jonathan-bribes-pastor-bakares-sng-with-50000&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67

hmmm, Na wha. waiting for the truth

The caption is misleading, you only bribe someone when the other party accepts a "gift" from you, which is not so in this case. .

Hmmm, If this news is by any stretch of imagination true, then all those allegations of bribing delegates by President Jonathan is surely true. Smh

An empty sack can never stand upright. We still have a long way to go.

the same recycled SaharaReporters figment of imagination.

When did the President become INEC to unilaterally influence the ordering of elections?

$50,000:00 money came from Orubebe, rejected? or Accepted? or returned? How come Tony Uranta returned it? What is the truth here?

violent:

The caption is misleading, you only bribe someone when the other party accepts a "gift" from you, which is not so in this case. .

bribe [brahyb] noun, verb,
bribed, brib·ing.
–noun
1. money or any other valuable
consideration given or promised
with a view to corrupting the
behavior of a person, esp. in that
person's performance as an
athlete, public official, etc.: The
motorist offered the arresting
officer a bribe to let him go.
2. anything given or serving to
persuade or induce: The children
were given candy as a bribe to
be good.
–verb (used with object)
3. to give or promise a bribe to:
They bribed the reporter to
forget about what he had seen.
4. to influence or corrupt by a
bribe: The judge was too honest
to be bribed.

Your question should be whether such bribery is criminal or not. I dont know how the Nigerian law sees this. Any Nigerian lawyer in the house?

Saharareporters is a lowdown dirty tabloid!! Same as Elombah.

They've fallen so low. The Sowore guy might have some psychological or psychiatric issues that came out in the way he handled the Fashola interview he conducted in London.

I no longer take their news seriously!

If this story had any element of truth to it, Tunde Bakare would be the first to speak about it. The man is a known talker!

Poster. What type of person are you? You heard a one sided story and you are doing all your best to prove it is true? Are you ok?

thankfully, I'm not the only one having problems comprehending the story. if bakare rejected the gift, how does it damage his person?

furthermore how did they get this quote?

“You can't defeat an
incumbent,” he said, to the
shock of his guests.
When one of his guests
suggested that some state
governors might be deceiving
him regarding his support base,
Mr. Jonathan angrily retorted, “If
I don't want them to sleep in
their beds, they won't sleep. ”

All those attacking the poster are biased.I am waiting for Tunde Bakare to confirm this.For now it remains a rumour.

What is worthy of note is however that the same Godsday Orubebe was the one who called Henry Okah to lie that northerners were responsible for Abuja bombings.

The last time i checked $50,000 is 7.5 million naira, now ask yourself  if the president wants to bribe someone of bakare's calibre will it be 7.5 million naira?

Sahara reporters and  the poster are just being mischievous.

na_so:

The last time i checked $50,000 is 7.5 million naira, now ask yourself  if the president wants to bribe someone of bakare's calibre will it be 7.5 million naira?

Sahara reporters and  the poster are just being mischievous.

OMG! Are you trying to insinuate that there is nothing wrong even if it turns out to be true?This is unbelievable!

in all the ppls of this world, there is just one man i can take for his words and his name is Pastor Tunde Bakare. he was invited to a church programme by my pastor while i was in dubai. he refused to preach to the congregation rather he preached to our pastor and others pastors in that programme. he is one of these pastors that tells u what u ought to hear instead of what u want to hear.
is good they have told jonathan what we always complain here. our jonathan is really performing below per and the truth is that he is more interested in 2011 election rather than our situations.

igochopur$:

Poster. What type of person are you? You heard a one sided story and you are doing all your best to prove it is true? Are you ok?

Believe me, i looking at things objectively here. I've not yet accused anyone in any of my posts above.

What the President is alleged to have done is not criminal in some countries, while in other countries, it's illegal. It might not be a crime in Nigeria. I dont know yet.

We need to allow the President or Pastor Bakare to refutt or confirm the story.

There were just some specifics in the report that makes it have some credence.

na_so:

The last time i checked $50,000 is 7.5 million naira, now ask yourself if the president wants to bribe someone of bakare's calibre will it be 7.5 million naira?

Sahara reporters and the poster are just being mischievous.

Bakare himself has confirmed unequivocally and unambiguously that Jonathan did try to bribe him. I think , in this instance , no Nigerian will believe the Jonathan camp instead of Bakare.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/president-jonathan-offered-us-50000-bribe-we-returned-it-pastor-tunde-bakare-confirms

How true is this? Confirmation needed

jonathan is a green snake in a green grass

With all the monies at his disposal, with the calibre of people he was meeting a mere paltry $50,000 was what GEJ would "bribe" the SNG ?.

babasoty:

With all the monies at his disposal, with the calibre of people he was meeting a mere paltry $50,000 was what GEJ would "bribe" the SNG ?.

The question we need to ask is whose money was he offering Bakare? is it his own personal money or our collective (state) money?

If its own personal money, why would somebody give over half his annual salary to somebody as transport fare?

If is our money, what service has Pastor Bakare offered that he is being paid without a Purchase Order and Invoice. whether its $5, $50,000 or $50,000,000,000 is inconsequential

^^

Thank you for those intelligent questions.