By Uzoma Akobundu
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has taken exception to the claim by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State that he offered him huge sums of money, juicy ministerial appointment and ticket to defect to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 in order to support him, describing Okorocha as a shameless and irrational liar.
Jonathan who said Okorocha had long abandoned governance and taken to frivolities, rumours and twaddle, advised the governor not to dissipate the energy he would have used to provide good governance to the good people of Imo State who are yearning for such on platitudes, propaganda and shameless lies.
Speaking through his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze on Wednesday, September 27 in response to a recent claim by Okorocha that Jonathan had offered him huge amount of money and PDP ticket for governorship to support him in 2015, the former president said he had no need for Okorocha in an environment he knew was his most dependable political stronghold.
Jonathan therefore dismissed the claims as lies, stressing that he did not need Okorocha to garner votes in the South East or to even win election there, which he described as his political stronghold, hence the claim sounds irrational and absurd.
Jonathan who also insisted that he never had such conversations with Okorocha ahead of the 2015 elections, also affirmed that the he was not in the habit of making frivolous promises, a common feature Okorocha is noted for by all who know him.
Said Jonathan: “We offer to quickly dismiss these claims as lies, because we are clear in our minds that such conversation never happened.”
JONATHAN”S FULL STATEMENT READS:
“Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and published in the New Telegraph newspaper of Wednesday 27 September 2017, where he was quoted to have said that former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan offered him an influential ministry and huge sums of money to dump his party ahead of the 2015 elections, which he rejected. We offer to quickly dismiss these claims as lies, because we are clear in our minds that such conversation never happened.
“We are wondering whether this truly came from the governor because we are sure that even Governor Okorocha himself did not believe that anybody would accept these claims. In the first place it sounded irrational and absurd. Besides, it was obvious to all and sundry that, the South East, being Dr. Jonathan’s political stronghold, the ex-President did not need Okorocha to win in the zone.
“However, to set the records straight, we make bold to say that former President Jonathan never made any contact with Okorocha, ahead of the 2015 elections. The claim of an offer of ‘an influential ministry’ is also quite surprising because the former President was not in the habit of making frivolous promises, especially pertaining to Government positions and offices. All those who had either worked closely with him in any capacity, or served in Dr. Jonathan’s administration can bear testimony to the fact that idle talk is not his style.
“Since we know that the only proof the purveyors of this bribery allegation could offer is to probably claim that the transaction happened in a dream, we can only offer the Governor sincere advice, to avoid rumours and twaddle, and get down to the business of result-oriented governance. Governor Okorocha would have served his state better, if he directed his enormous drive to creating growth and development opportunities for the good people of Imo State, rather than allowing himself to be drawn into dissipating his energy on platitudes and propaganda.”