Former President Goodluck Jonathan, as learnt is back to the country to seek protection from being probed by President Muhammadu Buhari over the $2.1billion that was illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA).
According to The Nation who spoke to an insider said ex-president Jonathan is planning a protest to the Gen. Abubakar Abdulsalami National Peace Committee for 2015 General Elections that the Buhari administration is trying to blackmail him and his erstwhile cabinet members.
He is also worried that his government is being labelled as corrupt.
It was also gathered that he is worried by the likely probe of the whereabouts of the $4billion taxes and dividends paid by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural gas Ltd between 2009 and 2014.
Jonathan and some of his ministers are said to be angry that Buhari ought to know that such taxes and dividends are remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
“Jonathan believes that Buhari is blackmailing him and his ministers, contrary to the terms of the 2015 poll peace agreement which led to a smooth transition from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Another matter troubling Jonathan and his ministers, according to sources, is how the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under his watch allegedly blew N3.8trillion in three years.
The Abdulsalami Committee is yet to have an audience with Buhari on the allegations made by Jonathan, the source said.
The former President arrived in the country last weekend to “defend his administration”. He could not be reached for comments last night.
It was, however, learnt that he had chosen to table before the Abdulsalami Committee some issues, including the controversial $2.1billion withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without recourse to the National Economic Council(NEC).