Despite being imprisoned by the administration of then Head
of State, Muhammadu Buhari, under the draconian Degree 4 of
1983, journalist Tunde Thompson has declared his support for
the former’s presidential bid.
Mr. Thompson said he has forgiven the presidential candidate
of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and will firmly support
him in the forthcoming presidential election.
The journalist was the Guardian newspaper diplomatic
correspondent when he was arrested by the defunct secret
police, the National Security Organisation, NSO, alongside a
former member of the House of Representatives and current
chairman of the League Management Company, Nduka Irabor,
who was then an assistant editor at the Guardian. Mr.
Thompson was sentenced to a year in prison, for writing about
the closure and retirement of some diplomatic staff. He told the
Sun newspaper that Mr. Buhari did not order his arrest.
He said time has healed any grudge he had against Mr. Buhari
adding that he believed that Mr. Buhari arrested them because
he was misled.
“But when you look at it now, this is 2015, about 31 years
later, I have also reflected on the matter especially when I
wanted to do that rejoinder to the comment made by General
Buhari that some journalists made some demands, that the
demands were not honoured and they started blackmailing
them,” he said
“I have seen that time is a healer of certain wounds because
people are still asking that the man who jailed you wants to
become the president that what do I feel about it? They asked if
I would vote for such a man. I want to say categorically that
Buhari as the head of state at the time, didn’t order the
detention of Mr. Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor.”
He said the head of the NSO unilaterally took the decision to
arrest him. He admonished those using his ordeal as election
capital against the presidential bid of Mr Buhari to learn to be
“charitable” and allow bygone to be bygone since the event
happened over 30 years ago.
“He never did. Even Idiagbon did not. It was the head of NSO
that ordered our arrest. That was the file my colleague saw
when he was brought in to see Rafindadi after I had briefed
him. And that was an order that they complied with. Buhari was
not responsible for our arrest, so I do not see why at this time,
people are trying to make political capital out of what
happened in 1984. Apart from that, it was an issue in 2011
election.
“Between 2010 and 2011 people kept saying this over and
over again. I think it’s now over 30 years, people should learn
to be charitable; they should learn to forgive and let bygones
be bygones especially when we know the truth about who did
what. I will like to say that Buhari didn’t order my arrest, so I
bear no grudge against him.”
Mr. Thompson said his support for Mr. Buhari is borne out of
the belief that Nigeria needs a person of his character to
truncate the wave of corruption, economic meltdown and
impunity that has characterised President Goodluck Jonathan’s
administration.
“Yes, as far I am concerned now and considering the fact that
there is an order that the Minister of Petroleum should not
appear before the National Assembly to defend her conduct
and considering the fact that the Naira had been further
devalued. Now listen, in Ghana the Cedi we used to mock, the
Rupee we used to mock and the Yen. The Naira is just not there
again. We say revalue the Naira but they said they cannot
because we only have one commodity,” he said.
“The government has been saying a lot about agriculture.
Cocoa provided the mainstay of the defunct western region
under Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Groundnuts provided the
mainstay of the defunct northern economy under Sir Ahmadu
Bello. Have our farmlands suddenly become infertile? We have
solid minerals; we have gold in Ilesa. What I am trying to say is
that if we look critically, we have other commodities and if
they are harnessed we will be able to say we have more than
oil,” he added.
He said he believed that if Mr. Buhari became president he
would not tolerate sacred cows like is the case under President
Jonathan.
“Some even seem to be too powerful. They are sacred cows and
they cannot be tamed. Is that not dangerous? I believe that a
person like Buhari at this time can call anybody to order and
some people are afraid of that.”

www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/174665-support-buhari-despite-government-jailing-tunde-thompson.html

Cc
Obiagelli, firefire, Berem, Obinoscopy, Mynd44, Lalastica, Barcanista, chukwudi44, tit, atlwireles, Seun, Maclatunji, phockphockman

Join Buhari train now, or be left behind, God willing we are going to take over from Jonah cum febuhari 14

You published false report, you were arrested and convicted along with your colleague, your company (Guardian) was fined. Now you are saying you have "forgiven" the Head of state? ? Oga Thompson there is nothing to forgive, if there should be forgiveness it should be the other way round. This was how your "junior colleague" ruben abati published a false report on Muhammadu Buhari. Rather than say the truth, you are moving from pillar to post. Thank God you were granted fair hearing, but you decided to keep quiet. Once again, the NSO and the government need no forgiveness from you. You need to forgive yourself. God bless you Mr. Thompson for throwing your weight behind Muhammadu Buhari, God bless the General!!!

every clean spirited individual knows that nigeria as nation is in need of a leader wit guts to lead us out the mess we are in now.

gmb

gmb

gmb

FAILBUHARI

Well in that case...God Bless you. The only constant thing in life is CHANGE.

DYING BUHARI!
LIKE YARADUA, LIKE BUHARI.