Goodluck Jonathan's associate has blasted earlier reports that he has gone on exile because the EFCC may arrest him on allegations of corruption and misappropriation of billions of dollars, as the ex president has replied to the viral reports.
An authoritative report by
ThisDay earlier today, disclosed that former President Goodluck Jonathan may have gone into temporary self exile in Cote d’Ivoire, following reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may arrest him on his arrival in Nigeria from his overseas tour on allegations of corruption and misappropriation of billions of dollars during his tenure as president.
In an interview with Vanguard, a close associate of the former president, Senator Nimi Bariagha Amange, who said he spoke with Jonathan on Friday, dismissed the report as untrue, and insisted that the report was a figment of the imagination of the writers.
"I spoke with the former President on Friday. He told me that he was going to London to spend some times with his children. He did not indicate that he was under any stress and did not tell me that he was going on exile.
"What he said was that he would have loved to be at the Peoples Democratic Party convention in Port Harcourt but he couldn’t make it because he needed to be with his children. He told me that he was in touch with the leaders of the party across board and assured me that the crisis in the party would be resolved. It is not true that he is on exile," he said.
Senator Amange said the former President had no reason to go on exile because he served his country creditably and should be commended and not condemned.
"The president has no reason to go on exile. He has not committed any offence. Please ignore the report about his exile. He will certainly come back to the country when he is through with spending time with his children," he said.