Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has shared a gripping account of the political tension he faced while serving as Vice President during the illness of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Speaking in an interview with the Rainbow Book Club about his memoir, My Transition Hours, Jonathan revealed that he was advised to vacate the Presidential Villa (Aso Rock) at the height of political unrest and uncertainty surrounding Yar’Adua’s health, due to fear of a possible military coup.

NAIJABLOGDAILY.COM

According to Jonathan, the period was marked by deep national tension, worsened by regional and religious divisions, as the North-South and Christian-Muslim political fault lines became more pronounced.

• “Every day, I was hearing about a coup,” Jonathan said, recalling how some close allies urged him to leave the Villa for his safety.

He recounted how some of his northern friends, concerned about his well-being, offered him alternative accommodation outside the seat of power.

“I remember one day, I was still Vice President, they had not even moved the Doctrine of Necessity. Some of my friends came and said, ‘No, you don’t have to sleep here. You have to come and sleep in my guest house.’”

• But Jonathan said he firmly rejected the idea, insisting that he had nothing to hide and would rather face whatever came his way while still in Aso Rock.

HEED: Follow us on Instagram or any other social media platform and get the most reliable news directly in your favourite app!

“I said, ‘No.’ I will stay in the State House. If anybody wants to kill me, it’s better you kill me in the State House so Nigerians will know that they assassinated me in the State House. They know I have not committed any offence.”

Jonathan’s revelation sheds new light on the political drama that unfolded between 2009 and 2010, as Yar’Adua battled a long-term illness that eventually led to his death and Jonathan’s emergence as acting, and later, substantive president through the Doctrine of Necessity declared by the National Assembly.

His account underscores the tense power struggle and the resilience it took to hold on during one of Nigeria’s most delicate political transitions in democratic history.

NaijaBlogDaily# is visible on all social media platforms, and we bring you the latest Nigerian news on politics and economy, entertainment, and celebrity updates, including sports across Nigeria and beyond…

Keep visiting and following up with us on any social media platform you are using to keep you updated 💯
Remember (information brings knowledge and power).
STAY TUNED!!!