Former social media aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has revealed why Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai is angry with his former principal.
Recall that El-Rufai had told The Point that Jonathan almost put him in prison because he felt he was a threat to his second term ambition.
He said although the former President was his very close friend during his days as Bayelsa State deputy governor, he persecuted him because he believed those who told him that he was a threat.
“Jonathan was convinced by his own circle too that I was a threat and that if he was going for a second term of office, he had to take me out of the race. And so, Jonathan continued the persecution that Yar’adua started,” the Kaduna governor had said.
Reacting, Omokri said El-Rufai doesn’t like Jonathan because he refused to select him as his Vice President.
He noted El-Rufai was on a self-imposed exile during the administration of Umar Yar’adua and returned to Nigeria on May 5, 2010, the day the ex-President died.
He said El-Rufai returned due to his belief that the atmosphere was more conducive for him under Jonathan.
Omokri recalled that six days after his return, El-Rufai visited Jonathan at the State House and held a press conference where he made “unsolicited comments” asking Jonathan to contest the 2011 elections and assured he would support.
“After the then President named Mr. Namadi Sambo as his Vice President, two days later on May 13, 2010, Mr. El-Rufai became very bitter and made plans to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and began to undermine the Jonathan administration.
“In keeping with the Jonathan Doctrine, wherein Dr. Jonathan said “I have no enemies to fight, because of my confidence that people can only do to me what God permits”, the then President refused to move against Mr. El-Rufai.”
According to the former presidential aide, Jonathan received security reports that indicated that the Kaduna governor was engaged in provocative activities in order to instigate his own arrest to boost his popularity.
El-Rufai recalled that on September 8, 2014, El-Rufai claimed Jonathan founded and funded Boko Haram to the tune of N50billion to give Islam a bad name.
He stated that on November 25, 2014, El-Rufai told the world that Jonathan traveled to Chad to plan Boko Haram attacks with late President Idriss Deby.
Omokri further mentioned the January 5, 2014 allegation by El-Rufai that he, President Buhari and other prominent Nigerians were on a list of people to be killed by the Jonathan administration,
Noting that the spurious and defamatory statements could have led to his arrest and prosecution, Jonathan took a statesmanly position to ignore them, in order not to heighten the political tension in the country.
