Facts emerged on Wednesday that permutations ahead of 2015 were responsible for the presidential pardon granted a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, along with four others.
Investigations showed that President Goodluck Jonathan had recently come under pressure by ex-militants, who have increasingly become critical of his style of leadership.
It was learnt that Jonathan was concerned that any restiveness in Niger Delta could rob him of the much- needed home support ahead of the 2015 presidential poll.
A competent source in the Presidency told The PUNCH that the President was banking on the intervention of Alamieyeseigha, in reaching out to the ex-militants, who believed that he(Jonathan) had not sufficiently addressed the problems in the Niger Delta.
Our source added that Jonathan was equally aware of Alamieyeseigha’s desire to return to the political arena with a possible shot at the Senate in 2015.
Close associates of the President were said to have drawn his attention to the fact that he could use his presidential powers to pardon the former governor thus solving twin problems – his 2015 challenge and the “political debts” he owed the former governor.
His attention was also called to the fact that this would not be the first time such powers came in handy in dealing with potentially challenging situations.
Apart from Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was pardoned by the Gen. Yakubu Gowon regime, the administration of Shehu Shagari pardoned Gowon and Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, who returned and immediately joined politics.
As recent as 1999, the Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar regime pardoned Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who was convicted and given a long prison sentence by the Sani Abacha junta for treason.
The pardon paved the way for Obasanjo to contest and win the 1999 presidential election.
A source, who confided in one of our correspondents, said, “Everything is political. Alamieyeseigha has a senatorial ambition; the ex-militants are angry with the President. The President wants the man to intervene and speak with the ex-militants as 2015 approaches.”
via Punch
