Jonathan: Boko Haram can’t blackmail me

President Goodluck Jonathan has described as blackmail and rude intimidation the condition given by the Boko Haram sect that he should embrace Islam and become its ardent member or resign from office. Reacting to the condition yesterday, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said President Jonathan will not resign just because of such calls as he has a mandate from Nigerians. He described as laughable for any group to hand down such a condition to a president who was elected by both Muslims and Christians in last year’s poll even when it was not in contest that he was a Christian. He said: “When Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for President Jonathan in the 2011 general election, they knew they were voting for a Christian. He continues to enjoy the goodwill and support of the good people of Nigeria. As President, Dr. Jonathan is the leader of both Muslims and Christians; in fact he is the leader of persons of all faiths. “So, it amounts to sheer blackmail for any individual or group to ask the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convert to Islam. The president cannot be intimidated by any group or individual. The President will never resign. He has the mandate of Nigerians to serve his father land and nobody should imagine that he will succumb to blackmail”.