Real reasons I could not implement 2014 National Confab report – Goodluck Jonathan 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has highlighted reasons he could not implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference report.

Jonathan explained that the political climate did not warrant his then government to implement the 2014 National Conference report.

He noted that Nigeria was on the verge of the 2015 general election; hence it was impossible to review the Constitution, which would have allowed his administration to implement the report.

The former president disclosed this at the public presentation of a book on the 2014 National Conference in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Represented by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, Jonathan noted that defections among past lawmakers in the National Assembly contributed to his inability to implement the conference report.

Jonathan said his administration could not implement the report because the then legislature was anti-government.

He said: “Those familiar with the process of constitutional review will know that to implement the confab report, a number of alterations will be made in the Constitution, which will require the involvement of the National and State Assemblies.

“Such an elaborate review will be termed impossible at the time because at the time the report was submitted in August 2014, we were already on the verge of the 2015 election.

“It is also important to point out that at that time, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who was a member of my party, the PDP had already moved out with some members to join the opposition.

“That meant that a reasonable part of the legislature was already anti-government. When you know that your parliament is under that kind of situation, it would have been impudent on my part to take such a precious document, which I considered crucial for development, to a parliament that would not take it into consideration.”

Jonathan also noted that his administration could not implement the recommendations from the report because Nigerians were suspicious of his government.

“There was no way that could have been done. We were also fully aware that segment of our population were already suspicious of the actions of government,” he added.