Jonathan pardoned Alamieyeseigha to favour his 2015 presidential ambition – Investigation

Indications have emerged yesterday that the reason president Jonathan
granted presidential pardon to a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr.
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, alongside four others were to create a
clearer path towards a successful 2015 general elections.

It has been observed that President Goodluck Jonathan has recently
been criticised at all quarters for an unsual leadership style.

DailyPost investigation shows that His Excellency was worried that any
objection in the Niger Delta region against his ambition could be
disastrous to the much needed victory he so desires, hence the need to
free some political gurus who could talk to some aggrieved militants
in the region.

A reliable insider hinted that Jonathan was banking on the
intervention of Alamieyeseigha, in reaching out to the ex-militants,
who believed that he had addressed the problems in the Niger Delta
enough.

According to the source, Jonathan was equally aware of
Alamieyeseigha's plan to run for Senate in 2015.

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 eventually returned and 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 way for Obasanjo's emergence as the president of the country.

The source, 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."

However, a Special Assistant,Media to the President, Mr. Bolaji
Adebiyi, had stated that, "The idea of a presidential pardon was not a
novel; it is not happening for the first time; it is not peculiar to
Nigeria and there is a process.

"People apply for pardon; they apply to the President who considers it
and he follows the process.

"He takes it further to the National Council of State which in this
case has given its advice, which will be gazzetted.

"It is not new; so opposition political parties should not seek to
politicise the normal process of government.

"If the opposition politicians are in doubt, their attention is called
to the fact that one of those in council was Gen. Gowon, who himself
was pardoned by Shehu Shagari.

"There was also Gen. Obasanjo, who had to be granted pardon before he
could contest election in 1999.

"Even Obasanjo himself had to pardon a former Speaker, Alhaji Salishu
Buhari, who was convicted of forgery ."