A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has admitted that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has forced him to rethink his long-held criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, Galadima declared that Jonathan handled national security challenges better than those who succeeded him, despite being one of his fiercest critics while he was in office.
According to him, the events leading up to the 2015 general elections marked a turning point in his assessment of the former president’s leadership.
Galadima recalled that with insecurity peaking shortly before the polls, Jonathan took the controversial decision to postpone the election by six weeks, bringing in foreign mercenaries to contain the crisis and stabilise the country.
He argued that the move ensured that elections were conducted across the country without exception, describing it as a demonstration of courage and democratic responsibility.
“I spoke to journalists and I said something. Me that speak to you seated here was one of the greatest critics of Jonathan’s presidency. The way at that time he handled matters, I didn’t know that God will disgrace me to show me that Jonathan was even a saint and a better administrator than those that follow him.
“First, he is a third world leader. The insecurity reached its highest level, six weeks, I mean, some few days to election. And Jonathan suspended the election, put off the election, and took another six weeks and brought mercenaries.
“If this government today has that opportunity of chaos, one or two weeks to election, they will allow it continue so that they can write figures and announce themselves as winners. But Jonathan stopped that election, and he knew for sure that if there was a free and fair election, no incumbent government can get second term.
“He’s an educated man with PhD. He knows that, but because of his humane nature, he postponed the election for six weeks, brought in mercenaries, and within six weeks, those mercenaries stabilized Nigeria, and there was no polling booth in Nigeria that elections did not take place”.