Former
President Goodluck Jonathan was on Sunday conspicuously absent when
former Nigerian leaders who are Christians gathered at the Presidential
Villa, Abuja for the end of the year thanksgiving.
Former Nigerian leaders at the Aso Rock thanksgiving service
Former Nigerian leaders, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo;
Chief Ernest Shonekan; Chief of General Staff, Gen. Oladipo Diya; former
Vice-President, Alex Ekwueme; Rear Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe, and others were
in Aso Rock on Sunday for a Thanksgiving service.
According to Punch, the past leaders were invited by
Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo to join him and his wife to praise God for
His goodness over the country, but former President, Goodluck Jonathan
was conspicuously absent when former Nigerian leaders who are Christians
gathered at the Aso Villa Chapel, Abuja for the end of the year
thanksgiving.
Speaking in an interview with State House correspondents at the end
of the service, the vice president confirmed that all the former
Nigerian leaders, including Jonathan were invited for the service,
adding that Jonathan decided to cancel his attendance at the last
minute.
The Vice-President who did not give the reason for Jonathan’s
decision, added that there was a great future ahead of the country,
hence the need for the thanksgiving service.
Osinbajo said, “Today is a special thanksgiving for the end of
the year and as you have seen, all the former Presidents and
Vice-Presidents are here for the special thanksgiving service,
“They have been specially invited to come, we also expected
President Jonathan but unfortunately, he had to cancel at the last
moment.
“So, we are all extremely excited that we have been able to
bring everyone together to thank God for our nation and to give Him
thanks for the great future ahead of us.”
Earlier during the service, Gowon who said he was attending service
at the chapel for the first time, confirmed that Osinbajo personally
contacted him to attend the service, adding that when he told the
Vice-President that he would be engaged outside the country at the time,
Osinbajo offered to facilitate his (Gowon’s) movement to the venue.
Obasanjo who had earlier taken the first lesson of the service from
Luke 17: 11-19, revealed that the Sunday visit was the first time he
would be visiting the Presidential Villa since he publicly criticised
the Buhari administration recently, saying the President was elected to
clear the mess he inherited and not to shift blame.
The former leaders however did not meet with Buhari during their visit.
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