Jonathan not pressurized to concede defeat – NSA

The National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has debunked claims in some
quarters that President Giodluck Jonathan was pressurised by security agencies to concede defeat in the March 28 Presidential election.

A media consultancy agency to the Nigerian military and other security agencies, the PR Nigeria, quoted Dasuki has having made comment during an interview.

He said the President had already given his word to respect the decisions of Nigerians in a meeting with service chiefs and other security chiefs before the elections.

He was quoted as having said that the President advised all security agencies to ensure a strict adherence to professionalism in the conduct of their duties during the elections.

Dasuki said while the security leadership expected the President to congratulate his opponent after the release of the results, he conceded defeat at the polls without being prodded by anybody.

The NSA said the decision of the President saved the country from avoidable security tension and stress.

He added that the security agencies were saved the stress of maintaining law and order and coping with the excesses of protesters.

Dasuki said, “President Jonathan had already given his words to all the security and service chiefs before the election that he would abide by the decision of Nigerians. At the meeting, he also told them to perform their duties professionally during the polls.

“While we anticipated that he would congratulate his opponent if the result is announced in favour of opposition candidate, he gratuitously, without the prompting of anyone, conceded defeat to the surprise of all.

“By that singular gesture, he had saved the security agencies and the nation of unnecessary tension and stress in maintaining law and order and curtailing excesses of likely protesters.”

Dasuki assured Nigerians that the security agencies would ensure the completion of the liberation of the Sambisa Forest, a stronghold of the Boko Haram terrorists, before the May 29, 2015 handover date.

There is a strong belief that the Boko Haram insurgents might be holding the Chibok girls in one of its camps in Sambisa.

Dasuki noted that Sambisa remained the only stronghold of the insurgents that had not been liberated by the Nigerian security forces.

He said that the Federal Government was making every efforts to ensure the liberation of the over 200 girls of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, who were abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists in April last year.

He said that the Sambisa Forest  had not been liberated because of the harsh weather condition in the area stressing that surveillance activities on the movement and activities of the insurgents were ongoing and necessary troops deployment made.

The NSA added, “Right now, all Boko Haram camps, except Sambisa Forest, have been destroyed.

“Every movement of the terrorists is being monitored and every necessary detail is being taken care of to rid the country of the last bastion of terrorists’ infestation.”