2015: Danjuma visits Jonathan, denies backing any candidate

  Former Defence Minister General Theophilus Danjuma says he does not canvass support for President Goodluck Jonathan or any other presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections. Danjuma emphasised that he was not a member of any of the political parties. He was addressing State House journalists Wednesday morning after meeting behind closed-doors with Jonathan […]

 

Former Defence Minister General Theophilus Danjuma says he does not canvass support for President Goodluck Jonathan or any other presidential candidate in the 2015 general elections.

Danjuma emphasised that he was not a member of any of the political parties.

He was addressing State House journalists Wednesday morning after meeting behind closed-doors with Jonathan at the latter’s official residence in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The former defence minister arrived the president’s official residence at about 9.30am and left at exactly 9.42am.

Flanked by Jonathan and some presidential aides, Danjuma told journalists that he just arrived from a foreign trip and visited the president to know how things were going in Nigeria.

He noted that his discussion with the president was confidential,  asking the journalists not to speculate.

Asked what he discussed with the president, the former defence minister said: “Confidential. Don’t speculate. I came to visit the president and find out how things are going. I have been abroad. I just came back”.

On whether he was going to canvass support, specifically, for Jonathan in the coming presidential election, Danjuma responded: “I don’t canvass. I am not in any of the political parties. The president is the president of the country.”

Danjuma had on January 28 called for the arrest of ex-Niger Delta militants and Jonathan’s kinsmen, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo and Government Ekpudomenowei Tombolo for threatening to declare war against the nation if Jonathan loses the presidential poll rescheduled for March 28.

He had described the threat as “ungaurded and reckless, warning that “miscreants” must not be allowed to hold the nation by the jugular.

Danjuma was then reacting to Dokubo’s statement at a meeting held on January 23 at the Bayelsa State Government House, Yenagoa, where he (Dokubo) reportedly urged an end to what he termed the intimidation of the Ijaw by other Nigerians.

The meeting was attended by Governor Seriake Dickson, Tompolo, Victor Ebikabowei and Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs Kingsley Kuku.

Our correspondent reports that Danjuma heads the presidential committee on terror Victims Support Fund created last year.