Former President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked reports by Thisday newspapers on Monday stating that he has fled to exile in Cote D’Ivoire to evade arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the former President who spoke to our reporter on Monday, “I am not on exile. I find it amusing that such a report made it to the pages of a respected national daily. I have been good friends with President Quattara and only stopped by to visit him. Nigeria enjoyed a very robust diplomatic relationship with Cote D’Ivoire while I was President.”
Sources informed about the development who did not want to be named told SIGNAL on Monday that the report was planted by the Nigerian Presidency to embarrass the former President and give the international community the impression that President Buhari was leaving no stone unturned in his “fight against corruption.”
“It is a shame what our media has degenerated into. The story about President Jonathan running to exile was planted by the Presidency in collaboration with their agents in the print media all in an attempt to embarrass the former President”, the source told SIGNAL.
Thisday newspapers broke news on Monday of plans by the EFCC to arrest former president Jonathan, leading to his reported exile in Cote D’Ivoire.
Efforts to reach Nduka Obaigbena, the Publisher of Thisday for comments proved abortive at the time of filing this report.
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