After Gabon coup, Goodluck Jonathan never said Tinubu is “next to go”

Claim: 

Following the latest coup in Gabon, a YouTube channel, BVI Channel I claims former Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan warned that President Bola Tinubu “may be the next to go”.

Verdict:

FALSE

Full Text:

On August 30, the military overthrew the democratic government of Gabon, Central Africa. 

The soldiers, who appeared on Gabonese national television, announced the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of cabinets. 

The now former President Ali Bongo Ondimba has just been re-elected, in a disputed poll, for the third term at age 64. 

The coup ended Bongo’s family’s decade-long rule in the country which started in 1967. 

The coup is the latest military takeover, making it the sixth coup on the continent. 

Earlier in July, Niger fell into a military regime, joining the West African countries like Guinea, Sudan, Chad and Mali.

Nigeria’s President Tinubu, being the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, had been making efforts towards Niger’s return to civilian rule, while also committing to work with other heads of state to defend democracy.  

Following the recent development, a YouTube channel owned by one Asuzu Chinedu Peters headlined a video:  “You May Be Next To Go Jonathan Warns Tinubu & Others”.

In the 7-minute, 12-second video, a BBC broadcast of the Gabonese soldiers was preceded by Jonathan delivering a lecture.

The former president started his speech thus: “I will use this opportunity to advise us who are politicians, and those of us who are in the security services that while we are doing the job we are meant to do, let us not… because the judiciary is very conservative, try to blackmail them or squeeze them.

“Sometimes when we have political power, we get blinded. They say sometimes the power consumes the confidence. 

“When we get big names; president, governors, all these speakers and so on, we become so blinded… and even in the security services when we are holding a position, we become so blinded. 

“But the society is changing, and we must blend and admonish ourselves and civil society is becoming very, very active. And some things that we do and probably get away with it, we may not get away with it tomorrow.  If we take the law into our hands and try to squeeze the society, the young people will react.” 

He went further to narrate how protesters displeased with the 27-year rule of President Blaise Compaoré saw the collapse of democracy in Burkina Faso in 2014.

A story by The New York Times reported that demonstrators surged through the streets of Ouagadougou, the capital, overrunning state broadcasters, setting fire to the Parliament building and burning the homes of the president’s relatives. 

This conforms with the narration by Jonathan, who was president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 2010–2015.

The video posted two days ago, has garnered over 64,000 views and 1.7k likes. 

Some of the comments under the post show that the viewers also “totally agree” with the content of the video, with one saying “the soldiers must wake up and clean west Africa of Al the corrupt politicians (sic)”. 

Some of the comments

Verification:

A keyword search reveals reports with quotes related to former President Jonathan’s speech in the YouTube video.

However, the videos online as well as the news reports backdated as January 2023, reveal the event was a book presentation/reception that culminated the week-long activities marking the retirement of the Bayelsa State Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri, in Yenagoa, the state capital. 

This was before Niger and Gabon coups which occurred in July and August, respectively. 

Furthermore, Jonathan made the speech before Nigeria’s February elections, and as at the time, Tinubu was not yet the president. 

Moreover, Jonathan never mentioned Tinubu’s or any other personalities’ names as claimed. 

Conclusion:

Former President Jonathan never said President Tinubu may soon be ousted by the military.