TheCable

Some former ministers in the government of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan are allegedly weighing the options to use in stopping the release of ‘On a Platter of Gold’, a book written by Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

TheCable understands that the ex-ministers are worried that the author might use the book as an avenue to hit back at Jonathan for relieving him of his duties as minister of sport.

Jonathan sacked Abdullahi in 2014 allegedly because of his relationship with Bukola Saraki who joined some influential personalities to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abdullahi has described his book as an exclusive account of the “making and the unmaking” of Jonathan’s government.

In a statement issued earlier in the month, he announced that the book, which gives revelations of the intrigues that surrounded the 2015 presidential election and its aftermath, would be out in October.

“The book, which has the subtitle, ‘How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria’, is introduced as follows,” he had said.

“Was Goodluck Jonathan weak and clueless, as his traducers have claimed? Or – as his supporters have alleged – was he just a victim of vicious conspiracies by an entitled cabal that would stop at nothing to bring down this ‘intruder’ to power?”

Led by Taminu Turaki, former minister of special duties and Abubakar Sulaiman, former minister of national planning, Jonathan’s loyalists are said to be working on strategies to use in achieving their goal.

A source told TheCable that after a series of meetings in the federal capital territory (FCT), the former cabinet members are now thinking of either getting a court injunction to stop the publication or write another book to counter Abdullahi.

“The ex-ministers are so angry about the book written by their former colleague and they are determined to stop him at all cost,” the source said.

“Their main source of concern is the manner in which Abdullahi left that government. They are thinking that he would write uncomplimentary things about Jonathan since he was sacked. The options before them now is to either use the court to stop the circulation of the book or to write another book which would contain an entirely different account from that of Abdullahi.”

Ikechukwu Eze, spokesman of the ex-president, described the allegation of stopping Abdullahi as strange.

“Is it possible for former ministers to stop a book written by the spokesman of a ruling party?” he asked while responding to inquiries by TheCable.

“It doesn’t make sense for a former minister to stop such book. I mean I see no reason why anyone will stop the book. There have been many things written about the administration of Jonathan and no one stopped them. In any case, I am not aware of such a plot.”

While Turaki could not be reached for comment, as he neither answered his phone nor responded to a text message sent, calls put through to Sulaiman’s telephone line did not connect.