Former President Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to claims made by Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha that (Jonathan) offered inducements to him to win votes for the PDP in the South East during the 2015 general elections.
Jonathan said in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, that he had no conversation with Okorocha ahead of the 2015 elections.
Okorocha had told a delegation from Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State who paid him a solidarity visit to celebrate his 55th birthday that Jonathan offered him huge sums of money, a second term ticket and an influential ministry if he dumped the APC for the PDP in 2015.
Part of the statement reads ” We offer to quickly dismiss these claims as lies, because we are clear in our minds that such conversation never happened”
” We are wondering whether this truly came from the governor because we are sure that even Okorocha himself did not believe that anybody would accept these claims ”
“In the first place,it sounded irrational and absurd. Besides, it was obvious to all and sundry that the South East, being Dr.Jonathan’s political stronghold, the ex president did not need Okorocha to win in the zone”
“The claim of an offer of an influential ministry is also quite surprising because the former president was not in the habit of making frivolous promises, especially pertaining to governance, positions and offices. All those who had either worked closely with him in any capacity,or served in Dr.Jonathan’s administration can bear testimony to the fact that idle talk is not his style”
“Since we know that the only proof the purveyors of this bribery allegation could offer is to probably claim that the transaction happened in a dream, he can only offer the governor some advice, to avoid rumours,twaddle and get down to the business of result oriented governance”
Jonathan’s aide added that Governor Okorocha would have served Imo people better “if he directed his enormous drive to creating growth and development opportunities for the good people of Imo State, rather than allowing himself to be drawn into dissipating his energy on platitude and propaganda”