Jonathan desperate to blackmail me – Buhari - South-South group threatens retaliation

General Muhammadu Buhari

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), raised alarm yesterday, saying President Goodluck Jonathan’s camp is desperate to blackmail him as well as mobilising some Nigerians to attack him. Buhari, who spoke through his spokesperson, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said the president’s camp is using the alleged vandalisation of Jonathan’s campaign office in Gombe to achieve its goal.
“We have gathered from intelligence sources that the Jonathan camp has been going around prominent Nigerians to mobilize them to launch attacks against the presidential candidate of the CPC, General Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged attack,” Odumakin said. He declared that this is not the first time the president’s men are trying to blackmail Buhari. “In the aftermath of the unfortunate bomb attack in Suleja during which some Nigerians lost their lives, one Mike Omeri from the Jonathan campaign issued a statement that General Buhari should be held responsible for the incident. The statement was later hurriedly withdrawn from the media after a couple of journalists sought our reaction to the content of the silly propaganda.”

Odumakin said that Jonathan is scared by the mass support Buhari is receiving all over the country. He also absolved Buhari’s supporters in the alleged attack of Jonathan campaign office in Gombe, saying it was the work of PDP thugs.

Meanwhile, the PDP has blamed General Muhammadu Buhari for recent politically-motivated violence in the country. The party, in a statement signed by Director of Media and Publicity for Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organization Mallam Abba Dabo, said ‘Buhari is responsible’.   The party warned that its supporters cannot continue to fold their arms as they are being assaulted.

Also, a group under the aegis of South-South coalition for Good governance has threatened to encourage youths in the region to pelt presidential candidates of other parties if President Goodluck Jonathan is stoned in any other part of the country. A statement by one Perembowei George on behalf of the group said the incessant pelting of President Jonathan during presidential campaign rallies of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) especially in the Northern part of the country must stop.