Jonathan Did Not Send Us to Intervene on His Behalf

Members of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections led by Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar have denied reports that they were in talks with the President over his intent to probe the immediate past administration

National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections

Five days after immediate-past President, Goodluck Jonathan paid a secret visit to Buhari inside the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, ex President, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar, has led members of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections to a behind closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Addressing State House journalistsafter the meeting, a member of the committee, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Hassan Kukah said the position of the committee was to persuade Buhari to be fair in his fight against corruption and ensure that due process is followed in the proposed probe of the last administration.

Kuku said, "It (Buhari's anti-graft war) is not heating up the polity. In our conversation with former President Jonathan and members of the parties, I don't think any Nigerian is in favour of corruption or is against the president's commitment to ensuring that we turn over a new leaf.

"I think what we are concerned about is process. It is no longer a military regime, and under our existing laws, everybody is innocent until proven guilty.

"Again, our own commitment is not to intimidate or fight anybody. The former president's commitment and what he did still remains spectacular, and I think that President Buhari himself appreciates that. So, our effort really is to make sure that the right thing is done",

Kukah dismissed the reports that Jonathan sought the committee's intervention on the ongoing probe of his government.

He said: "Anybody is free to come to our committee, but former President Jonathan never, by telephone or another means, talked to the committee. We went to see him, but that was after we had already seen members of the political parties, members of the civil society. We planned to see the speaker because we couldn't see him yesterday (Monday)."

Attendees of the meeting alongside Abubabakar include, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’Ad Abubakar III; the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mrs. Priscilla Kuye; and Senator Ben Obi among others.

Jonathan Did Not Send Us to Intervene on His Behalf - National Peace Committee