Jonathan Under Attack from Presidency, APC and PDP Faction for Saying Dasuki Didn't Steal $2.1billion

Condemnation on Tuesday, greeted the comments by former President Goodluck Jonathan that a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, did not steal $2.1 billion contrary to the accusation by the EFCC.

President Buhari and Jonathan

Recall that we reported on Tuesday that while speaking at the famous Oxford Union in United Kingdom on the subject of promoting youth entrepreneurship, former president, Goodluck Jonathan, said it was impossible for the embattled NSA, Sambo Dasuki, during his administration, to steal $2.2 billion as claimed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Jonathan, had in an official statement, said he had kept quiet to allow the court to handle the ongoing prosecution of the former National Security Adviser (NSA) so as not to be seen as a former president challenging a sitting administration.

Jonathan's comments at the UK event was met with condemnation on Tuesday greeted as the President Buhari-led presidency called on him to allow the court to decide the fate of his former NSA.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, while reacting to the comment, said the courts should be allowed to decide the matter which he said was subjudice. “The matter is subjudice. Let the courts decide,” the presidential spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the PDP, a party the ex-President belongs to, also asked him to allow the court to do its job in the trial of Dasuki and other suspects, accused of benefiting from the arms cash diversion.

Also, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Timi Frank, urged Jonathan to assist Dasuki to make his case in court, adding that it was not enough for the ex-President to say his former NSA didn’t steal the $2.1bn, but it would be more appropriate to assist in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

He said, “First, I wonder why it took former President Jonathan such a long time to speak out. Why now? If Colonel Dasuki is as clean as he wants us to believe, it would be nice if he can assist his former NSA to prove his case in court. The courts deal with evidence; let them prove their case.”

In a similar vein, a faction of the PDP under the leadership of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, asked Jonathan to allow Dasuki to face his trial, adding that it was happy that neither Dasuki nor any other suspects claimed that they gave part of the money under investigation to it during the last general elections.

Spokespersons for the Sheriff-led faction of the party, Bernard Mikko, stated this in an interview with a Punch Newspaper correspondent on Tuesday.

“We don’t want to take issue with the former President on this matter, but we will want to say that the suspect and others like him, should be allowed to face their trial.

“Let the court determine if they are culpable or not. It is not our duty to defend or castigate anyone.

“It is also gratifying to know that none of these suspects has said he or she paid money to the PDP. So, we don’t have issues with that,” Mikko stated.