Omokri: Abba’s accusations against Jonathan make no sense to reasonable people

Reno Omokri, former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has accused Suleiman Abba, a former inspector-general of police, of lying against the Nigerian leader.

Omokri said this in response to an interview Abba granted Daily Trust on Sunday.

The former number one police officer had said he was pressurised by a top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member to rig Osun governorship election of 2014.

Abba also said the former president showed him the way out because he refused to do the bidding of the PDP.

But Omokri dismissed the allegations, saying they do not reflect the situation on ground.

“My attention has been drawn to recent comments by former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, who alleged that he was sacked by ex President Goodluck Jonathan because he refused to rig elections in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party during the gubernatorial elections in Osun State,” Omokri said in a statement.

“IGP Suleiman Abba is proof of the fact that liars need a very good memory otherwise they would contradict themselves with their lies.

“Let us examine some facts. The Osun State gubernatorial election held on Saturday August 9, 2014. The results of that election was declared the next day on Sunday, August 10, 2014.

“Mr Suleiman Abba claims to have been sacked because he failed to rig that election for the Peoples Democratic Party.

“However, Suleiman Abba was appointed acting Inspector General of Police on Friday August 1, 2014 and sacked from office on Monday April 20, 2015.

“If it was true that Mr Abba was sacked for refusing to rig the Osun State election, which held on August 9, 2014, why would former President Jonathan wait for 7 and a half months before sacking him?

“If it was true that Mr Abba was sacked for refusing to rig the Osun State election, which held on August 9, 2014, why would former President Jonathan keep him in office to preside over the Nigerian Police Force during the more important 2015 Presidential election which was even more crucial to the then President and the PDP?”

“When juxtaposed with these facts, the accusation of the former IGP of Police makes no sense to reasonable men and women.”

Omokri said Jonathan relieved Abba of his duty because of the death of the resident electoral commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano state where President Muhammadu Buhari got the highest votes in 2015.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Suleiman Abba was sacked for dereliction of duty, because under his watch, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Kano State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi, was burnt to death with his wife and two children on Friday, April 3, 2015, under suspicious circumstances after he had reported incidents of severe electoral fraud in his domain,” Omokri said.

“When confronted with this suspicious death, the then acting IGP of Police gave contradictory and unsatisfactory answers. As a leader who valued the sanctity of human life, former President Jonathan ordered the sack of the then acting IGP and appointed Deputy Inspector General of police, Solomon Arase, to act in his stead and get to the bottom of the suspicious death.

“I therefore urge Mr Abba to find other ways to ingratiate himself to the current powers that be and leave former President Jonathan out of his lying schemes and plans.”