Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, yesterday, gave insight into how former President Goodluck Jonathan became acting President through the popular doctrine of necessity.
Tambuwal said that the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, approached him in the heat of the tension that followed the incapacitation and death of former President Umaru Yar’Adua, in 2010, to work out the process that culminated in the emergence of Jonathan as acting President.
Tambuwal, according to a statement by Governor Dickson’s Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, spoke during a condolence visit to the country home of Dickson, Toru Orua, Sagbama local government area of the state.
Tambuwal who was Speaker, House of Representatives, said Dickson persuaded him to accept the plan to make Jonathan acting President in the interest of national unity which he obliged as the then leader of the North West caucus in the House of Representatives.
According to him, the two governors who were both members of the House of Representatives, collaborated and drafted the document that paved the way for Jonathan to be made the acting President of Nigeria.
He said that Dickson took advantage of his membership of the National Assembly to play several major roles in stabilizing the country.
His words, “God has elevated you to become Attorney General òf Bayelsa State, then a member of the National Assembly and now Governor of Bayelsa State. And even in the National Assembly, you played several major roles that helped to stabilise this great country.
“I remember very well when we had to collaborate with you and work with you to ensure that our dear brother and leader, Dr. Jonathan was made the acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“To those of you who may not be aware, my brother and friend approached me being the leader of the North West to say my brother, we have to do this in the national interest and I agreed with him. And both of us agreed and drafted that resolution that made Jonathan the acting President.
“So it is not today that my brother Dickson and I have been working to stabilize this country. You are a great son of the country, you are a great son of this community, you are a great son of Nigeria.”
Tambuwal said the late Mrs. Goldcoast lived well and left behind great legacies as represented by the governor, his exemplary performance in governance and his siblings.
In his remarks, Dickson said that he and his Sokoto counterpart had years of productive collaboration in building bridges and strengthening the unity of the country.
He thanked Tambuwal for the show of solidarity, the honour and the sacrifice of paying the visit to his country home in spite of his tight schedule.
