Plans to get immediate past
President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to run for the presidency on the platform of
the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are facing attacks across the
divides.
Sources told Vanguard
that the Otuoke, Bayelsa State-born politician, who is still a member of the
main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is weighing his options on
whether or not to contest the 2023 elections on the platform of the APC.
The APC has zoned its
presidential ticket to the South, while the PDP has left its ticket open, with
a plan to take a decision a few days to the presidential primaries, which must
be concluded between April 4 and June 3, 2022, according to the 2023 election
timetable unveiled by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, last
weekend.
Party leaders and
politicians, yesterday kicked against plans to draft Jonathan into the 2023
race, just as Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State said that moves by the APC
to zone the Presidency to the South in 2023 is not a threat to the PDP.
North
deceiving Jonathan—PDP source
A close ally of the
former President told Vanguard in confidence that the North is deceiving
Jonathan to contest.
The PDP leader, from the
South said: “He would be under pressure to run but the truth of the matter is
that it is to the advantage of the North
“They (North) are deceiving him to
run for only four years. The minimum term any Nigerian can run is eight years.
He has done six years and they (North) are asking him to do one term; the
moment he is two years in office, he will be dragged to the Supreme Court and
they (North) own the Supreme Court.
“By the time the Supreme
Court rules, he would be ousted and his Vice will be asked to be the substantive
president. So, he should not allow himself to be deceived. He has to be
careful.”
He’ll
be a spoiler to South — Osuntokun
Contacted, Mr Akin
Osuntokun, former Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said
the former President would be a spoiler and a traitor to the South if he
accepted the offer.
“If he likes himself, I
don’t think he should run. What they want him to do is to cheat the South. I
doubt if Jonathan will offer himself as a traitor to the South by accepting the
proposal. To me, he will be a spoiler for the South. Jonathan should be smarter
than that. Let’s look at the logic of it. I am sure he will be tempted by the
offer but if you look at the logic of it, he is being offered the back seat.
Some people are putting up the proposition to him but I am almost certain that
he may not accept it because it will damage him.”
I’m
not aware he’s running—Bode George
Speaking on the issue,
former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, said the
former president had not informed him of his decision to run for presidency in
2023.
George said: “I am not
aware that he (Jonathan) wants to run and I am not aware that the APC has
reached out to him. But, he promised coming to see me, I will ask and confirm
from him when he comes.”
We
can’t replace failure with failure—Shettima
President of Arewa
Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, urged the former President
not to throw his hat in the ring because Nigerians want something new.
Shettima said: “Nobody
can stop him from contesting; it is his constitutional right to contest. If I
have my way, I will advise him not to contest because Nigerians cannot wait to
see something different from what we have now. Nigerians cannot go back to
him because things went bad under him. Nobody can stop him from
contesting but we cannot replace failure with failure.”
It’s
his decision—Oladunjoye, Ogun APC spokesperson
Spokesperson of the APC
in Ogun State, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye said Jonathan is free to contest because
“it is his personal decision.”
On him joining the APC,
Oladunjoye said: “I cannot speak on behalf of the party at the national level
because with the calibre of the former president, he will be admitted first at
the national level before going to his ward to register.
“Article Nine of the APC
Constitution states that ‘membership of the party shall be open to any citizen
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has attained the age of 18 years and
who accepts the aims and objectives of the party, provided that such a person is
not a member of any other political party or any organisation whose policies
and programmes are inconsistent with those of the party.’”
He
has to cross the bridge—Ondo APC spokesperson
Also speaking, Publicity
Secretary of the APC in Ondo State, Alex Kalejaiye said: “The decision would be
taken by the national leadership of the party. However, the APC does not
discriminate against any Nigerian, who finds it appealing, on account of
performance and disposition to the physical and
economic development of Nigeria. We do appreciate and welcome men of honour
like the former president, who can add more value to what we are doing, in the
overall interest of Nigerians.
“The speculation that he
would like to contest on arrival remains what it is. Every bona fide member has
the inalienable right to participate in an electoral process. However, the
former president has to cross the bridge before debating the issue of
eligibility for whatever position. It has to be a step at a time, and party
constitution will guide appropriately.”
Why
we want Jonathan—Northern group
Meanwhile, the Northern
League of Professionals, NLP, yesterday, threw its weight behind Jonathan,
saying the former President would be the best option to consolidate Nigeria’s
democracy and advance the course of development for the country come 2023.
The group, in a
statement by its Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Ajiji, said: “Governance is a
continuum and that was what informed the continuation and completion of some of
the projects started under Jonathan by the Buhari administration.
“Projects like the construction
and rehabilitation of the railways, the Second Niger Bridge, Loko-Oweto Bridge
and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway among others are being implemented by the
Buhari Administration even though they started under President Jonathan.
“This is a clear example
of continuity in governance and we would want to see a situation where former
President Goodluck Jonathan will pick up from where President Buhari stops to
ensure that there is widespread infrastructure development and the
implementation of policies and programmes to address the challenges facing the
country. Our goal is to ensure there is sustained development by continuous
implementation of programme without interruption.
“Jonathan disappointed
the doomsday prophets who thought he would place his personal ambition above
Nigeria’s peace, unity and stability by peacefully handing over power to Buhari
after an election he conducted and adjudged by local and international
observers to be free and fair.
“None of the
presidential hopefuls has the experience garnered by Jonathan over the years
having served as a lecturer, deputy governor, governor, vice-president and
eventually the president of the Republic.
“Jonathan is the best
option to unite the country at the crucial moment where there are various
agitations across the land.
“Because of his mien,
Jonathan is not known to be a power monger or a leader who will misuse power
but as a unifier and a democrat who is at home and can be trusted by every part
of the country.
“All parts of the
country will have a fair deal under Jonathan and he’s not known to be
vindictive or has scores to settle. He has trusted friends across all sections
of the country who can attest to his personal attributes as a man of peace with
impeccable character.
“He is a bridge builder
who has vast experience in managing the country’s diversity. Jonathan also
hands-on experience and will not be a learner on the job. As humans, we also
believe that Jonathan has learned from past experiences.
“Beyond the national
experience in leadership, the appointment of Jonathan as ECOWAS Mediator by
President Buhari has given him vast experience in regional and international
politics, which has placed him head and shoulder above all those vying for the
office of the president.
“For Jonathan, going
back to Aso Rock is no longer to make a name but to continue to serve the
nation with dignity and honour. He’s now a global citizen and we are calling on
him to join the race because he’s just the right person Nigeria needs at the
moment. Every situation requires its peculiar kind of leadership and this
moment requires a man with Jonathan’s character, experience and exposure.”
APC’s
zoning not a threat to PDP – Bala Mohammed
Meanwhile, Governor Bala
Mohammed of Bauchi State has said that the decision of the APC to zone the
Presidency to the South in 2023 poses no threat to the PDP.
The governor, who
addressed newsmen in Abeokuta, after visiting former President Obasanjo, said
the PDP would continue to strategise to rescue Nigeria from the present
situation she has found herself.
Mohammed said: “The
zoning of Presidency to the South by the APC is not a threat to the PDP because
each party is trying to strategise, to plan and organise. If they zone it to
the South, it is open to us to see how it is going to give us more electoral
victory if we put it in the North.
“This is the kind of
things we are doing: the leg works, the permutations and so on. So, that, at
least, whatever we are going to do, will give Nigerians the opportunity to
choose between the best alternatives.”
Explaining why he
visited Obasanjo, the governor said the relationship between them and the issue
of PDP were the essence.
“We know that Baba is
non-partisan, we know he’s an elder statesman per excellence. But we are
rebuilding our party to remove rancour, division and what-have-you. So, we
still need him because his words of wisdom are always very useful.
“So, I have come to
sound his opinion on some of the things going on in the party, to close ranks
and make sure we provide Nigerians with the opportunity to rescue the country
from the present division which we have found ourselves.”
On his chances of
getting the PDP’s Presidential ticket in 2023, he said: “To me, Presidency is a
consensus; a stakeholder and statesmanship and its responsibilities. Of course,
every Nigerian should try to contribute his or her quota to the growth and
development of the nation.
“Leadership recruitment
should be based on merit, it should be based on making sure we bring everybody
on board and should not be based on the manifestation of separatist, which is
the instrument capable of dividing us further.
“Nigeria is too large
and too important to be ignored. Some of us have benefited so much. It is not
about me and my aspiration, but about the country.”
Choosing
candidates by consensus anti-democratic— Buba Galadima
In his remarks, Buba
Galadima, a former Buhari ally, said the APC would choose both its national
chairman and presidential candidate by consensus which, according to him, is
anti-democratic.
Galadima expressed dismay
over the perceived anti-democratic way of picking the national chairman and
presidential candidate, stressing that it would worsen the problems in the APC.
He said: “If things go
the way I’m seeing it, APC would collapse under its weight. I don’t believe in
zoning. We have tried it and it failed. It didn’t bring out the best. ‘’Now,
consensus would be the worst. Let the best man emerge democratically and not by
consensus. They should look at a man’s past and what he did before and use it
as a yardstick to vote him in.” (Vanguard)
