Jonathan Runs To Abdulsalam, Seeks Protection From Buhari Probe

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, as

learnt is back to the country to seek

protection from being probed by President

Muhammadu Buhari over the $2.1billion

that was illegally withdrawn from the

Excess Crude Account (ECA).

According to The Nation who spoke to an

insider said ex-president Jonathan is

planning a protest to the Gen. Abubakar

Abdulsalami National Peace Committee for

2015 General Elections that the Buhari

administration is trying to blackmail him

and his erstwhile cabinet members.

He is also worried that his government is

being labelled as corrupt.

It was also gathered that he is worried by

the likely probe of the whereabouts of the

$4billion taxes and dividends paid by the

Nigerian Liquefied Natural gas Ltd between

2009 and 2014.

Jonathan and some of his ministers are

said to be angry that Buhari ought to know

that such taxes and dividends are remitted

to the Federal Inland Revenue Service

(FIRS).

“Jonathan believes that Buhari is

blackmailing him and his ministers,

contrary to the terms of the 2015 poll

peace agreement which led to a smooth

transition from the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP) to the opposition All

Progressives Congress (APC).

Another matter troubling Jonathan and his

ministers, according to sources, is how the

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

(NNPC) under his watch allegedly blew

N3.8trillion in three years.

The Abdulsalami Committee is yet to have

an audience with Buhari on the allegations

made by Jonathan, the source said.

The former President arrived in the country

last weekend to “defend his

administration”. He could not be reached

for comments last night.

It was, however, learnt that he had chosen

to table before the Abdulsalami Committee

some issues, including the controversial

$2.1billion withdrawn from the Excess

Crude Account (ECA) without recourse to

the National Economic Council(NEC).