“How Obama ‘imposed’ Buhari on Nigeria” – By Goodluck Jonathan
Muhammadu Buhari may not have become the President of Nigeria without help from former US leader Barack Obama.
That’s according to Goodluck Jonathan who lost the 2015 general elections to Buhari.
“President Barack Obama and his officials made it very clear to me by their actions that they wanted a change of government in Nigeria and we’re ready to do anything to achieve that purpose,” Jonathan said.
“They even brought some naval ships into the Gulf of Guinea in the days preceding the election.
He said British and French leaders were also in on the plan.
“I got on well with Prime Minister David Cameron but at some point, I noticed that the Americans were putting pressure on him and he had to join them against me,” the former Nigerian leader said.
“But I didn’t realise how far President Obama was prepared to go to remove me until France caved in to the pressure from America.
“But weeks to the election, he had also joined the Americans in supporting the opposition against me.”
Jonathan made the comments “Against The Run of Play”, a book authored by ThisDay editorial board chairman Olusegun Adeniyi.
Jonathan said Obama became disillusioned with his government over unfounded claims of corruption.
“There was this blanket accusation that my body language was supporting corruption, a line invented by the opposition but which the media and civil society bought into and helped to project to the world,” Jonathan said.
“That was the same thing I kept hearing from the Americans without specific allegations.”
