President Goodluck Jonathan said he underestimated Boko Haram Islamists who have overrun swathes of the country’s northeast and defended an election postponement in an interview published Sunday.
Jonathan, facing a tight re-election bid against ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, has faced criticism over the vote delay, which critics argue was designed to give him time to shore up his campaign.
The military pushed for the six-week delay eventually granted by the electoral commission to allow it to secure the country for the vote, though Boko Haram’s insurgency has raged for six years.
Presidential and parliamentary elections are now set for March 28.
“Probably at the beginning, we, and I mean myself and the team, we underrated the capacity of Boko Haram,” Jonathan said in an interview with influential newspaper ThisDay.
He said that the military has recently acquired more arms and ammunition to do battle with the Islamists, vowing that their suppression and the capture of the group’s leader were near.
“God willing, we will catch (Abubakar) Shekau before the elections,” he said.
Asked why six more weeks would make a difference in the years-long conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people, Jonathan said the military could make reasonable progress in that time.
“We are not saying we must finish Boko Haram to conduct elections, but we should get to a point where they will not cause havoc if they make an attempt,” he said in the interview.
“My belief is that by 28th of next month, when the elections will be conducted, Boko Haram may not even be in a position to attack any town, God willing.”
Nigeria‘s military authorities on Saturday claimed to have recaptured the fishing town of Baga from the Islamists, more than a month after it was overrun in what is feared to be the worst massacre of the six-year insurgency.
There was no independent corroboration of the claim, as thousands of Baga residents had fled the town after Boko Haram attacked on January 3 and hundreds, if not more, were killed in the following days.
Over one million people have been left homeless since 2009 as the rebels try to carve out an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria.
The Islamists have recently extended their violent campaign into nations neighbouring Nigeria‘s northeast as regional forces pursue them.
Kil or jail buhari haram 2 put an end 2 bokoharam dat sick old hoarse is a prime suspect
ReplyDeleteIf Buhari is so powerful as to put the country into turmoil through Boko Haram, maybe he is the one we need to rule us. Better than a clueless leader under whom every evil goes as he has lost all control. You, one of FFK clones - you're still talking? Can't you see that your number is diminishing in these online forums?
DeleteMe i dont know why Buhari gives you sleepless night, your Principal is the C in C and should be held responsible for the security of lives and property in Nigeria.
DeleteHe is really a cloned FFK. He and many like him are so blind and deaf that up to this day do not see or understand that GMB has nothing to do with BH. Just hate, hate, and intrinsic hate for a fellow human being. Surely, there is no cure for this kind of ailment.
DeleteI don't why our CiC appears to belief that majority of Nigerians are stupid fools that can believe just anything when it's logical enough that our dear CiC is nothing but a pathological liar.
DeleteWhat further beats my imagination is that while the Military is busy fighting Boko Haram, our CiC GEJ is busy campaigning for votes with more ridiculously blatant lies and bogus promises.
I guess the Buni.TV satire below sums everything up for GEJ as to what constitutes National Security Priority;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1roAy9-NTks
I encourage you to watch it.
Now U realise that the BAGAs need to be ANNIHILATED.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2:47pm, habah! If Buhari is a sponsored of Boko Haram, why did your clueless President refuses to prosecute him or other members of the Opposition party? No matter what, come March 28th, we are voting for change.
ReplyDeleteBad bele, na only buhari them kill or jail.
ReplyDeleteMumu come jail all the northern people now.
When obj call the idiot that this is what he should do, he deafen his ears.
A general advising you from experience he stubbornly refused to listen.
Bornu state governor openly declare that Nigerian army has lesser arms, the mumu president refuse to listen. He was very happy that they are killing the east people, now he wants their votes. They can never be as stupid as GEJ.
You made a mistake that cost the Nation 13,000 lives, cost the Chibok girls their freedom and caused many cities to be burned to the ground. and you still want 4 more years? can you be trusted to make decisions that will be best for Nigeria or you will also underestimate the Power Problem, the Security problem, the education problem, the health problem etc. oka Park well
ReplyDeleteOga Jonah, better Late than Never, but you still wont get my vote
ReplyDeleteIf GEJ made mistake and admitted it then it is better than the illiterate liar.
ReplyDeleteI wonder who is an illiterate liar, the one who told us that he is investigating Bokoharam, very soon he will come up with an intelligent report but that was all lies... so Jonathan you do not have intelligent report on Bokobharam to enable you tackle it. MUMU!!!
Delete4 d sake of peace in dis country,let allow GEJ 4 d second term.
ReplyDeleteSorry, we would not be blackmailed into electing a president, (for the sake of peace) which means if we dont elect him, there wont be peace, at least you have agreed that he doesnt deserve to be reelected. We will elect a strong Leader and take our chances.
DeleteYes..well spoken,we cant be blackmailed into electing anybody for d sake of peace...we need a good leader,n if it will take chaos to get it,so be it..afterall notin gud comes easy..
Deletewell spoken anonymus 6:22p.m we will not be blackmailed at all, the presidential position is not for trial and error, if not why can't we get a taxi driver to rule us???since the country has now degraded to that level? we will vote for a president that is strong and has the will power to fight our greatest problem.......CORRUPTION.
DeleteI am not suprise. If the C in C surrounds hiselff with hypocrics and gullible personalties,:he will always make costly mistakes. More reason why Nigerians should kick GEJ out of ASO ROCK, comes March 28. CHANGE WE NEED.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine a C-in - C making this ridiculous statement. What you mean invariably is that your intelligence team is a wash out. For you to have underestimated Islamic fundamentalist. Also means that you are clueless to say the list.
ReplyDeleteThe English comparison should be change to AS DULL AS GEJ!!! He's an epitome of dullness.
ReplyDeleteHe is a democrat.
ReplyDeleteA democrat, that is begging for interim Govt eh!!! a democrat that is postponing a election for selfish reasons eh!!! a democrat that cannot stand for the truth eh!!! a democrat that cannot get an intelligent report before action... that means he is a demo-crazy!!! idot
DeleteMy president through his mistake he has killed thousands of nigerians,is a shame for to be seekong re-election,pls nigerians lets vote this man out.
ReplyDeleteAnd u dat is calling somebody idiot.. U are a very big fool.. May ogun kill u there.. Bastard
DeleteWat xactly is reason for trying to defend GEJ for a mistake dat has cost lives and unbearable torture to our bros and sis in the north. Lets not support evil pls.
ReplyDeleteWat xactly is reason for trying to defend GEJ for a mistake dat has cost lives and unbearable torture to our bros and sis in the north. Lets not support evil pls.
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDeleteTalk about moral bankruptcy.
First it was Transformation Agenda Propaganda that failed woefully with lots of Naira wasted and down the drain.
Now you see the President of Nigeria shamelessly using the power of incumbency to now run the propaganda train on his own. This GEJ is absolutely morally bankrupt.
They tell us the Military needed time to fight insurgents and while Nigeria is busy fighting battles, our so-called Commander-in-Chief is busy running the TAN Propaganda Train himself.
We called on the elders of our dear Nation Nigeria to please speak up.
If indeed, GEJ is not pursuing Gbabo's (of Ivory Coast) agenda, then why his he busy going about and campaigning and talking to traditional rulers, making bogus promises when he should be actually busy with the so-called security chiefs.
PDP indeed is a morally bankrupt party.
This president has come out for once to tell us the real truth. He is honest this time in saying he is not competent. The ball is now in our court to choose to continue with him or vote in out. For the sake of the coming generation, my candid advice is to vote him out.
ReplyDeleteUseless president u can tell dis to ur village people when u finally lose d election as we all knw u will lose... Dont forgot ur jail term awaits u!!! President buhari will not under estimate that
ReplyDeleteAll these insults and name calling on a sitting president? I wish it was possible for you all to come to GEJ seat and demonstrate to us how you would have handled the already existing problems of Nigeria which our past leaders including GMB and Obj couldn't surmount. It's so easy to sit and make derogatory statements about leaders. Paradventure GMB wins, you' ld still criticise him in no time.
ReplyDeleteLet' s try to be more patient with our leaders and pray more for them. Nigeria is still our country. God bless Nigeria.
Ok, you can continue to have patience, infact you can marry one too just like your mumu GEJ, but as far as we are concerned, we are kicking him out. There's no going back, GEJ and PDP have taken us for a ride for too long we are tired of them. They've turned Nigeria into a failed state. Big shame
Delete7:54 a.m ..i know you very well, you are always making silly and strong comments without decency and decorum for PDP/GEJ even when it is so clear that they are wrong, what happened in this case???why have you decided to talk in this manner?? are your eyes opening?? where you there when Buhari ruled this country??? where yo Born then??? it is a disgrace that Nigerians of your age think this way....this government has failed us and thats the truth, even jonathan knows that...let him go and rest let someone else do the Job, if he fails we vote him out as well.....when our votes starts counting, all the politicians will sit up.
DeleteImagine costly underestimating that has taken many lives. Yet some are still shouting Get till 2019 for boko garam to kill more
ReplyDeleteThere is no vacancy in ASO Rock. Not for an 80 years old illiterate boko haram sympathizer.
ReplyDeleteThis president is a democrat. He has to continue. Has Bokohari ever accepted doing wrong in the past. Uneducated proud Buhari....
ReplyDeleteThis president is a democrat. He has to continue. Has Bokohari ever accepted doing wrong in the past. Uneducated proud Buhari....
ReplyDeleteBuhari has a lot of apologizing to do but he won't.
ReplyDeleteGaskiya Baka kyauta ba....meaning what u did to Nigerian is not fair at all
ReplyDelete....and the reward for understimating the deadly boko haram is that we will vote you out of power come 28th March.
ReplyDeleteIn sha Allah,we will vote u out as u have used negligence to loose 13000 Nigerian Lives and displaced many.Indeed you have betrayed the trust reposed on you.i voted u in 2011 thinking that with ur degree u would act proatively to fix the nation but now see how u disappointed me.Remember, some of those killed and displaced by boko Haram were among those who voted u into power.
ReplyDeleteGEJ is a big liar, the truth is that he is clueless and scared, he didn't know what to do. He feared BH, that's why the traditional independence day parade on October 1 had not taken place for years now and he said he underestimated them. The man lacks courage, he's not charismatic and the lack of confidence and intelligence are very obvious in his interviews; his utterances are nothing to write home about. BH kept killing, bombing and kidnapping for years and and he said he underestimated them, he should just go, I can't wait for March 28 boot him out.
ReplyDeleteunderestimating for how long... asumming the kidnapped ur children 1at time youll know
ReplyDeleteClick here to see how to get free Airtime on MTN and Glo
I will not be surprised if my dear President wakes up tomorrow and claimed that the statement was juxtaposed and quoted out of context. Its ridiculous that a leader will make this kind of statement after he was warned by experienced warriors. Nigerians cannot be fooled again even if Mr President decided to visit all the monarchs in this world.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why our CiC appears to believe that majority of Nigerians are stupid fools that can believe just anything when it's logical enough that our dear CiC is nothing but a pathological liar.
ReplyDeleteWhat further beats my imagination is that while the Military is busy fighting Boko Haram, our CiC GEJ is busy campaigning for votes with more ridiculously blatant lies and bogus promises.
I guess the Buni.TV satire below sums everything up for GEJ as to what constitutes National Security Priority;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1roAy9-NTks
I encourage you to watch it.
LET'S FOR ONCE HAVE A MOMENT OF SOBER REFLECTION.
ReplyDeleteFFK and Ekiti guy,If GMB IS DEAD(God forbid anyway) we will vote for his dead body.GEJ,If your children are among the kidnapped girls by Boko Haram,you will not UNDERSTIMATE them.You acted now because you need their vote.This is extremely bad for the leader of a nation.
ReplyDelete