BUHARI’S PRESENCE AT CENTENARY DINNER, A PLEASANT SURPRISE –JONATHAN

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday commended former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, for attending the dinner to flag off the country’s centenary anniversary at the Presidential Villa.

Jonathan disclosed that when he stepped into the venue and saw Buhari, he was impressed, saying that was why he invited the former head of state to join him in lightening the centenary torch.

Buhari, who was the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, contested the 2011 election with Jonathan but lost.

The former military leader, who had been very critical of Jonathan’s administration, went to the Supreme Court to challenge the result of the poll.

He, however, lost the legal battle at the apex court which declared that Jonathan won the election.

Speaking yesterday at the special session of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, the President said: “When the celebration was packaged and that day when I got there, I was impressed myself especially when I saw the former Heads of State, including General Buhari.

“He came that day and that was why I said the two of us should light the unity torch and I think it was something nice.”

Jonathan recalled that when the Federal Government came up with the idea of celebrating the centenary in a big way, it attracted a lot of negative statements with many people wondering why celebrating during crisis.

The President, however, noted that the way the flagoff was packaged showed that Nigerians needed to celebrate.

He said: “Initially, when we came up with the idea of celebrating our centenary, there were so many negative statements in the media.

“There were many Nigerians questioning why we have to be celebrating amidst crisis. They claimed that our unity has never brought development.

“But finally, when the celebration was packaged and that day when I got there, I was impressed myself.”

Jonathan said the flagoff and Super Eagles’ victory at the just-concluded African Cup of Nations showed that God had a purpose for Nigeria.

Source: National Mirror