How I Avoided 'Poisoned Apple' Plot, Coup Rumors Before Becoming Acting President

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Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has opened up about the intense political drama and rumors of coups that surrounded his rise to the position of Acting President in 2010, following the prolonged absence of then-President Umaru Yar’Adua due to illness.

In a viral interview, Jonathan recounted how Yar’Adua had prepared a letter transferring power to him, but a presidential aide blocked its transmission to the National Assembly. Despite resistance from Yar’Adua’s inner circle, the National Assembly eventually invoked the “doctrine of necessity” on February 13, 2010, paving the way for Jonathan to assume office as Acting President.

Reflecting on the tense atmosphere at the time, Jonathan revealed that rumors of a possible coup were rampant. He recalled a friend advising him to leave the State House for safety, but he refused, stating that he preferred to remain in the official residence to avoid suspicious narratives if anything happened to him.

“Every day I was hearing about coup, coup, coup,” Jonathan said. “A friend once told me, ‘Vice-President, you don’t have to sleep here, come to my guest house.’ But I said no. If anyone wants to kill me, let it happen in the State House so Nigerians know I was assassinated here, rather than some fabricated story like ‘Indian girls fed him poisoned apples.’”

The reference to “Indian girls and poisoned apples” alludes to the unverified conspiracy theory surrounding the death of former military ruler General Sani Abacha. Jonathan emphasized that he was determined to avoid such speculative narratives, choosing instead to face the risks head-on.

“It was better I died in the State House than outside, where all kinds of stories would have emerged. That was how tense it was, but I was not bothered,” he said.

Jonathan’s account sheds new light on the political intrigues and power struggles that defined Nigeria’s leadership transition during Yar’Adua’s health crisis.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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