Jonathan’s supporters reportedly planned to abduct Jega during result collation

monjola sotubo

April 16, 2015 8:20 PM

Those involved in the plot planned to abduct Jega in order to interrupt the collation of election results, Reuters Africa reports.

Godsday Orubebe

According to reports, some supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan were involved in an abduction plot against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega.

However, the scheme reportedly didn’t succeed because it was exposed, via text message, by one of Jega’s aides, who wasn’t identified for security reasons.

The first phase of the plan was the disruption caused by former Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe.

Orubebe, on March 31, 2015, caused a scene at the INEC collation centre in Abuja after he grabbed a microphone and accused Jega of bias.

According to the Reuters report:

“Central to the plan…were Jega's security detail and Godsday Orubebe, a former cabinet minister from Jonathan's Niger Delta, an area whose leaders feared a change of power would mean an end to the perks it enjoyed under Jonathan's presidency.”

“Orubebe's role was to cause a disturbance at the headquarters of the commission as cover for the abduction of Jega.”

The warning text message reportedly read:

"Plans are on storm the podium at the ICC Collation Centre and disrupt the process, Nobody is sue (sic) what will happen. Please share this as widely as possible."

Orubebe’s outburst was reportedly supposed to serve as a distraction to give hired thugs a chance to kidnap Jega.

However, the situation didn’t escalate as expected as the INEC Chairman gently admonished Orubebe and proceeded with the collation of results.

The former Minister eventually apologized for his outburst and congratulated President-elect Muhammadu Buhari on his victory at the polls.

Buhari beat Jonathan by over two million votes and became the first person to unseat an incumbent Nigerian President democratically.

Jonathan will hand over to Buhari on May 28, 2015.

monjola sotubo