Omokri to Garba Shehu: Don’t blame Patience Jonathan for Buhari’s woes

Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has asked the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to leave Patience Jonathan alone “as she is not responsible for its failure”.

In an article titled ‘The Real Price of Changing the Change (1),’ Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, had said Patience Jonathan would be the happiest if Buhari is voted out in 2019.

“The former first lady would not anymore need lawyers to keep her mountain of gifts, counted in huge millions of dollars, billions of naira, hotels and buildings,” Shehu wrote.

But in a statement on Monday, Omokri, tagged Shehu as being childish by making Patience Jonathan a “collateral damage to explain  explain away his boss’ colossal loss of popularity as the 2019 elections approaches.”

“I would like to inform Garba Shehu that Dame Patience Jonathan is not responsible for the abysmal failure of the Buhari administration, neither is she a member of the Peoples Democratic Party,” Omokri wrote.

He asked that would Buhari like it if former President Goodluck Jonathan rehashes the corruption allegations made against Aisha Buhari, by Senator Isah Misau?

“Would the Presidency consider it fair game to highlight the fact that Yusuf Buhari, who does not have a job and has not served in the National Youth Service Corp as mandated by law, was in possession of a multimillion BMW power bike even though his father told the nation that he had to borrow to pay for his APC Presidential nomination form? How did he get the funds for such an expensive possession?” he asked.

“Whereas under Jonathan, Nigeria made her best ever improvement on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, moving 8 places forward from 144 to 136 in 2014, today Nigeria has made her worst ever retrogression under President Buhari, moving backwards 12 places from 136 to 148. This is a fact.

“Rather than blame Dame Patience Jonathan, for his boss’ loss of popularity, he should explain to Nigerians why the $25 billion contract scam at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has not been investigated till today.”

He added that cases of unprecedented corruption, incompetence and cluelessness are why Nigerians want to “change the change and not because of Dame Patience Jonathan.”