Ex-President is struggling with money, says former Perm Sec

A former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, has disclosed that former President Goodluck Jonathan is one of the poorest former leaders in Africa.

While speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, January 21, 2018, Igali said that the former president has been left struggling to pay some election liabilities from the 2015 presidential election he lost to .

He also defended the former president against corruption allegations that have trailed his tenure, saying that none has been directly traced to him.

He said, "I am glad that some of you journalists are privileged to know where he (Jonathan) lives and where he has his private office in this country.

"Thank God some of you guys know that he has an office and where he lives in Maitama. Which former president of Nigeria lives in that kind of place? I do not think President Jonathan can be considered a very rich man.

"You must realise that none of those corruption allegations has been personally linked to him. Jonathan is not a rich man, take it from me. He may be comfortable but not rich. But l know that his pension as a former president is enough to take care of him.

"Indeed Jonathan is still struggling to pay some election liabilities from 2015 until today. Despite all the stories of flying billions, Jonathan borrowed money to prosecute some aspects of his election and he is struggling in different ways to meet up.

"There's a lot of untruths that is being said about him, but l believe history will be very fair to him. He is a very simple man. His background and lifestyle are very simple. He is not jingoistic.

"As a former president when Jonathan needs an aircraft, the federal government will give him particularly if he is going on an important official assignment. But if it is his private trip, he has to fend for himself.

"Jonathan cannot afford to charter an aircraft. What l am saying is not a lie, but people can believe what they like."

Igali also defended the former president, saying that he's a modest man who will eventually be vindicated by history.