President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked a statement credited to the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso claiming that he regrets voting for President Jonathan in the 2011 elections.
But angry President said Kwankwaso did not vote for him either in the primary or the main presidential election in 2011, insisting that rather he worked against his emergence at the primaries.
“I regret voting President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, as he has done nothing to move the nation forward. Only a few people are enjoying in Nigeria at the expense of the generality of the citizenry,” the governor had claimed.
But Jonathan who said he choose to wear his traditional Niger Delta attire and Bolar hat, to prove the governor wrong that he was not the devil as he claimed, stated emphatically that he was aware that he did everything possible to frustrate his emergence as the party’s candidate and as President in the 2011 general election.
“I read in the paper that the Governor of Kano state said he regretted voting for me. Let me tell my good people of Kano that Kwankwaso did not vote for me and the Vice President.
“We accommodate a lot because we know so much but we talk less,” he said.
The President recalled that Kwankwaso left Eagles Square, venue of the PDP primary in 2011, when it was glaring that he would emerge as the party’s candidate.
“When it was clear at Eagles square that I will emerge as the candidate, Kwankwaso left the venue. If Kwankwaso had voted for me, he would have stayed to celebrate with me with the other governors”.
Jonathan stated further that Kwankwaso
also pocketed the money given to him for the transport and feeding of Kano delegates during the primary as well as during the election proper.
Jonathan said, “The little money that my campaign office provided, Kwakwanso refused to give to the delegates.
“Even for the main election, the little money my campaign office sent to Kano state to facilitate the movement of people, Kwankwaso refused to give the money to anybody.
“How can Kwankwaso tell people that he voted for me?” he queried.
The President reeled out projects undertaken his administration especially in the agric sector, promising that the groundnut pyramid will be back.
President Jonathan used the rally organised to welcome a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau into the PDP to disclose the exact amount that has been released to the state government and the local government councils, urging the people of the State to go and varify the projects done by the federal government and hold the state government to account.
It could be recalled that Kwankwaso, had during a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) elders on Sunday said he regretted voting for President Jonathan in 2011, saying he has disappointed Nigerians.