Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, on Sunday gave details on how former President, Goodluck Jonathan became Acting President after former President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died in 2010.
Tambuwal said that the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson approached him in the heat of the tension that followed the death of former President, Yar’Adua, in 2010, to work out the process that led to the emergence of Jonathan as Acting President.
Tambuwal disclosed this in a statement by Governor Dickson’s Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei during a condolence visit to the country home of Governor Dickson, Toru Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
Tambuwal 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 òf Representatives.
According to him, the two governors who were both members of the House of Representatives, collaborated to draft the document that paved the way for Jonathan to be made the Acting President of Nigeria.
His words, “God has elevated you to become Attorney General of Bayelsa, 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 stabilize 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. Goodluck Ebele 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 Goodluck Jonathan the acting President of the Federal Republic òf Nigeria.
“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 the Federal Republic òf Nigeria.”
In his remarks, Dickson confirmed that he and his Sokoto counterpart had years of productive collaboration in building bridges and strengthening the unity of the country.
