The ruling party, All Progressive’s Congress, APC has denied the allegation that she’s asking former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to run for 2023 presidency under the party.
There has been some rising speculation that the former president is receiving calls from the APC cabinet to run for the 2023 presidential election under the party.
The speculation became more popular following the visit of some Northern leaders to the house of Jonathan during his birthday.
President Buhari has also been alleged to be seeking favor with the former president as he nominates him as an envoy of ECOWAS to mediate in political conflicts in Mali and lately, Gambia.
Debunking the rumor, Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala who is interim committee chair of the APC says;
“Those peddling such information, they are afraid. But for now, there is nothing in the APC which has anything to do with the aspiration for 2023”.
Speaking to BBC Hausa service, Mai Mala further reveals that;
“Even if someone wants to base assumption on our recent visit to him during his birthday, we were there because of his capacity as a former President of Nigeria. Again, even if there is nothing, when we are talking of peaceful coexistence, we must give credit to former President Jonathan on the issue of peace. How he accepted defeat in 2015 and resigned to fate. That has qualified him to be a statesman and he is now among our fathers,” the Governor was further quoted by Vanguard as telling the BBC in the transcription of the interview to English.
Buni added that the visit of APC governors to Jonathan during his birthday was because of his status as a former president and therefore should not be interpreted to have a political undertone: “There are numerous of such visits -to leaders of PDP, APC, why are others not being mentioned, but Jonathan?”
“Then, who are we to say we are considering Jonathan? How? It has to be a party affair and once it is a party affair, then we are talking about the people. So we have nothing like that in our agenda. What we have now, and is of importance to us, is to ensure peace amongst party members.
“Also, to bring members of other political parties, whichever party it might be, whoever wants, should come into the APC. This is our plan for now. We are yet to start talking about aspirants, we are not in any discussion about aspirants,” he said.
