David Mark: Jonathan, Patience radicalised Tambuwal

Some of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s close associates have somewhat linked his defeat in the 2015 presidential election to his wife’s foibles.

David Mark, former senate president and Jonathan’s confidant, said the former president’s wife was suspicious of those around her husband.

Jonathan lost the support of key members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who either went to the opposition or discreetly worked against his re-election.

In an advance copy of ‘Against the Run of Play’, a book written by Segun Adeniyi and seen by TheCable, Mark said Jonathan and his wife turned Aminu Tambuwal, former speaker of the house of representatives, into a political foe.

Jonathan’s relationship with Tambuwal was frosty because he had emerged as speaker against Patience’ design.

Tambuwal, as speaker,  eventually defected from the PDP to the then opposition –  the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mark said he tried to defrost the relationship, but Tambuwal was still looked upon with suspicion.

“I took him (Tambuwal) and Emeka (Ihedioha) to the president for a meeting where they gave assurances that they would cooperate and work with the government. But there was always a concern from the Jonathan camp that Tambuwal was an ambitious politician,” he said.

The former senate president also said that the former first lady had fears that he was nursing a presidential ambition as well.

“I guess she (Patience) had the same fear about me even when she never said it to my face. She once accosted Senator Joy Emordi to say, ‘Joy, I hear you are the manager of David Mark Presidential Campaign Organisation’, which was a baseless accusation.

“I had to meet the president to clarify issues with him. So, I would say it was President Jonathan and his wife who radicalised Tambuwal and turned him into a political foe.”

The book will be launched on Friday, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, is expected to chair the event.