Jang Says Babangida Lied, Declares PDP Governors Never Worked Against Jonathan

Former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang has denied an allegation that northern governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worked against the second-term bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Jang was responding to an allegation levelled by former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu who claimed that the Northern PDP governors worked against Jonathan’s re-election bid because he reneged on an agreement not to seek a second term.

It will be recalled as earlier reported by Naija News that Aliyu on Friday while reacting to his suspension by the PDP in Chachanga Local Government Area of Niger, said the North would have lost out completely if Jonathan got reelected.

Aliyu who was the chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum said after northern governors supported Jonathan to complete the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the former president was still allowed to contest in 2011.

But reacting to the allegation, Jang in a statement on Saturday said there is no truth in the submission by Aliyu.

Jang in a statement titled, ‘Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu Lied,’ signed by his Media Consultant, Clinton Garuba said there was no time the 19 northern governors “met, deliberated and decided not to support the re-election bid of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.”

It added that Jang has always viewed Jonathan as a better candidate than Muhammadu Buhari and never hid his feeling and position.

The full statement reads: “The attention of the immediate past governor of Plateau State, Senator Dr. Jonah David Jang, has just been drawn to a statement credited to the past governor of Niger State, where he alleged that the then 19 states northern governors met, deliberated and all decided not to support the re-election of the then President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We wish to state categorically that Senator Dr. Jonah Jang was not part of that meeting.

“For the avoidance of doubt, despite the perceived shortcomings of President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Jonah believed that Jonathan was better equipped to rule Nigeria at the time, especially when his opponent was General Buhari. Jang did not hide his conviction concerning Buhari’s inabilities to resolve the Nation’s challenges and sensitivities of the issues at the moment. Unfortunately, Buhari won and we are all witnesses to the tales of woes.

“We view the statement of Dr. Aliyu as an attempt to drag the hard earn reputation of Jang into disrepute, having served Nigeria as a military officer, later a civilian Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and discharged his responsibilities without blemish.

“Senator Jang is not one who speaks from both sides of his mouth, rather he speaks and supports only what he believes, little wonder that Plateau was won by President Jonathan in the 2015 general elections, largely due to the hard work of the then governor.

“For emphasis sake, there was no basis for Dr. Jang not to have supported Dr. Jonathan especially when the contest was against General Buhari.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has denied having a Christianisation agenda and only appointing Christians into sensitive positions.

A widely circulated article written by “Dr Musbau Akinbode” titled “Osinbajo’s Stealth Christianization Agenda” had accused Osinbajo of pursuing a narrow religious agenda by nominating or appointing mostly Christians into government.

Osinbajo denied the allegations through his Senior special assistant to the president on legal, research and compliance matters, Balkisu Saidu.