Jonathan Alleges Obama Plotted His 2015 Election Defeat

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has accused former U.S. President Barack Obama of orchestrating his defeat in the 2015 general elections. The revelation comes in Jonathan’s upcoming book, My Transition Hours, scheduled for launch on Tuesday.

Jonathan claimed that Obama displayed unusual bias during the 2015 polls, describing the former American president as “overbearing” and “condescending” in a video message released directly to Nigerians ahead of the election.

“In that video, President Obama urged Nigerians to open the ‘next chapter’ through their votes,” Jonathan wrote. “Those who understood subliminal language deciphered that he was effectively urging the electorate to vote for the opposition and form a new government.”

According to Jonathan, the message implied that Nigerians could not decide their future without guidance from Obama. He further criticized Obama for insisting that all Nigerians vote without fear or intimidation while reportedly being reluctant to allow Nigerian forces to dislodge Boko Haram insurgents from occupied territories ahead of the elections.

Jonathan also took aim at former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, accusing him of showing nonchalance toward the Nigerian government’s concerns over the security situation and the proposed postponement of the election. “How can the U.S. Secretary of State determine what is more important for Nigeria than Nigeria’s own government?” Jonathan asked. “Not even the assurance of the sanctity of the May 29, 2015, handover date could satisfy them. In Nigeria, the Constitution is clear: no president can extend his tenure by a day.”

Jonathan lost the 2015 election to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, marking the first time an incumbent president failed to secure reelection. He had assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua and was elected for a full term in 2011.