Goodluck Jonathan reacts to vote-buying allegation, says Oshiomhole has psychological problem

A former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday,
reacted to claims by the All Progressives Congress, APC, National
Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole that he started vote-buying in Nigeria.

Speaking on Channels Television programme, Roadmap, Oshiomhole had
alleged that the former President introduced electoral malpractice in
Nigeria.

Reacting to the claim, Jonathan questioned the psychological state of
Oshiomhole.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan said even
though he was not aware of why the APC Chairman made the misleading
remark, he noted that Oshiomhole's claim may not be unconnected with
the pressure he was going through in his new office.

The statement reads, "We really do not know the real reason for this
misleading falsehood, at this point in time. However, we can only
guess that Mr Oshiomhole who is currently operating under tremendous
stress in the bid to steady the already floundering ship of his
administration as the new leader of his party, may have got himself
entangled in a voyage of tactless desperation.

"His recent flip-flops where he praised Governor Samuel Ortom and
Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso one day only to denounce them the very
next day, is enough evidence of his fragile psychological state.

"Not only is he content on squabbling with members of the opposition,
we note the self-destructive tendencies of Oshiomhole who is locked in
a feud with members of his own party including the minister of labour,
Chris Ngige, and a host of APC Governors. It appears that Mr
Oshiomhole's psychological strain may have reached boiling point.

"On the vexatious issue of 'vote-buying', which has unfortunately
found its way into our election lexicon, this is what we know: It is
obvious that the shameful development in our democratic experience
became very glaring during the 2016 gubernatorial elections in Edo
State; an exercise that took place more than one year after President
Jonathan had left office.

"It is therefore disingenuous for any politician or group to link the
former President with the anomaly, no matter how they want to stretch
the now-failing blame game.

"While in Office as President between 2010 and 2015, Jonathan
conducted many elections including the 2011 and 2015 general
elections, and many off-season gubernatorial and parliamentary
elections in some States like Anambra, Ekiti, Ondo and Edo; and not
for once did the issue of vote buying come up in the assessment of
those elections.

"It is instructive that in each case, the former President was given a
clean bill, with both local and international observers commending him
for having supervised a credible and transparent process.

"One of those who gave the former President a clean bill of health,
was Mr Oshiomhole himself who on July 16, 2012, said: 'What the Edo
election has confirmed is that when the President and
Commander-in-Chief puts the country first and he conducts himself as a
statesman not just as a party leader, credible elections are
possible.'

"When you juxtapose the above statement with Mr Oshiomhole's current
statement, it becomes obvious that the APC Chairman is suffering from
multiple personality syndrome and has a Jekyll and Hyde
schizophrenia."