₦airaland Forum

As Nigerians and the international
community continue to praise
President Goodluck Jonathan for
conceding defeat to his main
challenger, Muhammadu Buhari,
in the March 28 presidential
election, PREMIUM TIMES has
received exclusive details of how
the president took the decision of
making the historic concession
telephone call to Mr. Buhari.
Reliable officials, knowledgeable
about the drama that unfolded at
the presidential villa that March
31, said Mr. Jonathan was pulled
by two contending forces:
loyalists who kept pressuring him
to concede defeat and
congratulate Mr. Buhari, and
hawks who insisted he and his
party should strongly challenge
the APC candidate’s victory.
Our sources said even before
collation began at the
headquarters of the Independent
National Electoral Commission in
Abuja, Mr. Jonathan had indicated
he would accept whatever
outcome once the election is
considered free and fair.
But while the President was on
the verge of keeping that promise,
some “hawks” in the presidency
and the party rushed to the first
family’s official residence to warn
him against any “hasty decision”.
“They were telling the president
that a lot of options were still
open, and that the game was not
over,” one of our sources said.
“They were doing all manners of
analyses, and assuring the
president that ultimately, he
would triumph.”
“At a point the president became
confused and it was clear the
forces opposed to the president’s decision to
concede victory was gaining control. As some
of them were talking to the president in the
villa, others who were far away were calling
the President on telephone. The president was
in a dilemma.”
Another presidential aide said while in that
state of confusion, the President invited the
Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, to ask his
opinion.
Those who overheard the conversation
between the two men said Mr. Chidoka begged
the president to disregard any contrary
counsel and quickly concede defeat.
“Mr. President, I can tell you that by
congratulating Buhari, you would have done
the unthinkable and history will surely be
kind to you,” a presidential aide quoted the
aviation minister as saying.
Our sources said as the President and Mr.
Chidoka conversed, the Minister of Justice,
Mohammed Adoke, arrived.
“He quickly joined Osita (the aviation
minister) in appealing to the President to
ignore those advising him not to concede
defeat,” a witness said. “In fact, I saw Adoke
and Osita kneeling before the president in
deference and begging him to take the right
decision in the interest of the country.”
Our sources said at this point, Mr. Jonathan
appeared convinced. But more calls came in
from people believed to be opposed to any
concession move, and the president became
confused again.
At that point, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, arrived, and she quickly
joined the party working to convince Mr.
Jonathan to make the historic call.
While Mr. Adoke departed shortly after Mrs
Okonjo-Iweala’s arrival, the finance minister
and her aviation counterpart continued to
appeal to the President to make the right
decision.
At a point, the Special Assistant to the
President on Domestic Matters, Waripamo-
Owei Dudafa, joined the party.
He reportedly knelt before the president, held
his hand, and said, “You need to congratulate
Buhari now sir. I think you should leave this
place on May 29 holding your head high.”
Mr. Dudafa then offered to place a call to Mr.
Buhari so the President could speak with him.
Mr. Jonathan agreed.
So at about 5:15 p.m. that March 31, Mr.
Jonathan spoke to Mr. Buhari, congratulating
him for his victory in the presidential election.
At 5:27 p.m., Mr. Chidoka, while still at the
presidential villa, tweeted, “President
Jonathan congratulates Gen. Buhari in a
phone call this evening.”
He further tweeted, “President Jonathan will
address the nation after a meeting with PDP
officials.
“President Jonathan is a democrat by instinct,
he has expanded the civic space and
entrenched genuine democracy. A great future
awaits him as sets a continental example on
the essence of democracy.
“President Jonathan, by refusing to be an
African Big Man, has indeed become an
African role model. Soon when emotions
subside, the story of Pres. Jonathan’s stubborn
commitment to democracy and peace will be
told.”
When contacted Monday, Mr. Chidoka said he
was not prepared to discuss what transpired
at the president’s residence on the day of the
historic concession call.
Mrs. Okonjo Iweala could not be reached for
comments. Calls to her spokesperson, Paul
Nwabuikwu, did not connect.
With presidential election results from all but
one of Nigeria’s 36 states counted, and Mr.
Buhari, clearly in unassailable lead, President
Jonathan had telephoned the APC candidate to
concede defeat.
At the time the call was made, INEC was yet to
declare Mr. Buhari winner because it was still
expecting results from Nigeria’s remote Borno
State.
By the time the Borno vote was added to the
tally, Mr. Buhari garnered 15,416,221 votes to
Mr. Jonathan’s 12,853, 162 votes.
The historic concession telephone call defused
tension across Nigeria and has thrown up Mr.
Jonathan as a democracy hero.
That conversation is believed to have saved
Nigeria from descending into violence in the
aftermath of the election.
In a nationwide broadcast after INEC officially
declared Mr. Buhari winner, President
Jonathan told Nigerians he kept his pledge to
deliver a credible election.




www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/180750-revealed-the-men-and-woman-who-pressured-jonathan-to-concede-defeat.html

Crap.

If anyone think that GEJ did not know the outcome of the presidential elections by midnight of 28 march when the results started rolling in .. then the person must be dumb.

JEGA was just wasting time in calling the results. Most online results are real and don't forget that they have agents in every polling unit.

GEJ is simply a gentleman and a hero!

I dun hear yoU , If you performed well you Receive handshake, if you performed badly you receive "handcuffs".

Rt, GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Fear of handcuffs is the beginning of conceding defeat.

While we know the names of those who helped Mr. President conceded defeat, the report refused to name the 'hawks' who wanted to cause havoc and that's the 'koko'. Just as we didn't know the cabals of the subsidy palaver, we might never get to know the hawks trying to protect their own interests.

dunkem21:
Crap.

If anyone think that GEJ did not know the outcome of the presidential elections by midnight of 28 march when the results started rolling in .. then the person must be dumb.

JEGA was just wasting time in calling the results. Most online results are real and don't forget that they have agents in every polling unit.

GEJ is simply a gentleman and a hero!

Suddenly, you've realised that most online result are real. I thought you lots were the ones asking us to be patient and wait for INEC to announce the result!

GEJ made the greatest call in Nigeria's history, he is by far the most democratic leader Nigeria ever had. He made a call Buhari should have made in 2011, the call would have saved the lives of innocent Corp Members killed in the post election violence. Jonathan practically hands down every political touts that would have used the opportunity of his defeat to start a riot. He has got good people on this sides also its just that, hid chicken is sweating but its feathers are keeping us from seeing its sweat.

Pls let's just compensate GEJ with the "HERO" title and let the sleeping dog lie..@ least we won't be experiencing another 4 disastrous years of his leadership..And that we should be thanking God for.

They just want a bad name for GEJ by all means. Please stop the trash cos nobody pressured him to do any thing! You don't pressurize a man with power like that.

hefty4real:

Land 4 sale oo - Negotiable

donphilopus:
Suddenly, you've realised that most online result are real. I thought you lots were the ones asking us to be patient and wait for INEC to announce the result!

You heard it, right.

I said MOST! ..what was the online result of FCT?

dunkem21:
You heard it, right.

I said MOST! ..what was the online result of FCT?

I never saw the online result for FCT. We were only told that APC was leading!

donphilopus:
I never saw the online result for FCT. We were only told that APC was leading!

I did. Most were fake. Some were real.

The president got the real figures by Sunday.

JEGA was just acting home videos.

I really don't believe this report in its entirety.

REASON:
Why did the reporter play down on the impact of Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar with his team like Cardinal Onaiyekan etc. Cardinal was had an interview on radio nigeria just last Saturday (4/4/2015). He explained what they all did include calling the president from time to time and reassuring him. The whole slept at Aso villa the day prior to election, discussing with the president to late night. Immediately the tides was favouring Buhari, they put a call to GEJ to ask what he will do now? To their greatest surprise, the president said "I just put a call to him now". 'Everybody in the room started praising God in their language' Onaiyekan said. Immediately they ALL move to Aso villa to congratulate the president.

If Abubakar hadnt play foremost lead in this, why did Maduekwe and co all rushing to him so as plead on their behalf for soft landing.

Honour should be giving to whom its due.