Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday visited the Presidential Villa to congratulate President Bola Tinubu on the Supreme Court judgement which affirmed his election.
Jonathan’s visit came barely 24 hours after the Supreme Court dismissed appeals filed against Tinubu’s election by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Peter Ob of the Labour Party, LP.
Jonathan, who felicitated Tinubu behind closed doors, said it was time for past Presidents to close ranks and devise solutions that would help the masses wriggle out of poverty.
Briefing journalists after the closed-door meeting with the President, Jonathan said his visit was to inform Tinubu of some of his recent foreign engagements as well as some sundry issues affecting the country.
He said the visit also afforded him the opportunity to congratulate the President over Thursday’s judgment, insisting that with the legal tussles over, the country must move forward.
Acknowledging the numerous challenges facing Nigeria, Jonathan is optimistic that the country has all it takes to take the lead in Africa.
“There are certain things we discussed that the country must move forward. Elections are over, we must move forward,” the ex-President said.
“Yes, we have challenges economically now, we still have all it takes to lead. These are some of the issues I will continue to have a conversation with Mr President, including briefing him on all my foreign programmes because they are not personal issues.
“Traditionally, if a former president goes outside the country for this continental, regional or international, they come home and tell the President. That is the tradition. Most of the time, when you see me here, it is because of this thing we must do to move Nigeria, ECOWAS, and the African continent forward.”
He called on all political leaders, including former presidents to eschew bitterness and work together in harmony for the country’s overall good.
According to Jonathan, there is a need to end the tension and move forward together as Africa’s most populous nation.
