- As APC governors root for former president Goodluck Jonathan to take over from Buhari in 2023
- Jonathan top on President Buhari’s list of possible successors
- “Supporting Jonathan quickest route to South-East presidency”—NEF
- APC Govs’ visit to Jonathan an endorsement of PDP—Ologbondiyan
Former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may emerge the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress APC in the 2023 presidential election if all the permutation and horse trading currently going on with the APC is anything to go by.
A clear indication in this direction is the out pour of goodwill that greeted the 63 birthday celebration of the former president last week in Abuja. The event was practical hijacked by governors of the ruling all progressives Congress APC who thronged his Maitama resident in Abuja while PDP governors and stalwarts were visibly absent.
Inside sources who spoke to Daybreak on condition on anonymity, revealed that the support for the emergence of the former president to fly the flag of the APC in the 2023 presidential election may well be a fait accompli.
“the governors didn’t just go to his residence to celebrate the birthday of Goodluck Jonathan, it was a political gathering an endorsement, since the former president left office he has celebrated several birthdays what you should ask yourself is why this is different judging by the caliber of people who were there. Pay careful attention a lot would be revealed in the coming days”. The source said.
He also revealed that the APC governors held a private meeting with the ex-President, evidently to pass a message of the grand plan to present him as the APC presidential candidate in 2023. “The plan has been tabled before him and from what I have seen so far Jonathan is disposed to it. Also take note that not a single member of the Peoples Democratic Party was present at that gathering. that should send a loud message to political observers, that the APC is not joking about presenting the former president as their presidential candidate in 2023” the source reiterated.
He also underscored the importance of the meeting stating that the acting national chairman of the party, Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe state led the APC governors to Jonathan’s residence. “It was a high wired political maneuvering sanctioned at the highest levels of the party hence the presence of the acting national chairman of the party”. He said.
An APC governor from a North-west state who spoke to our correspondent on the development said the north was disposed to present Jonathan in 2023 because he is trusted by the northern political establishment and represents the easiest way for power to return to the north, since the constitution only permits the former president to do only one tenure “politicians are aligning and realigning towards 2023, things are taking shape and permutation and calculations are ongoing, for the north Jonathan is the sure bet and the easiest route for power to return back to the north in four years”.
“Supporting Jonathan quickest route to South-East presidency”—NEF
Also, speaking on the development first republic politician and former special adviser to late President Shehu Shagari on National Assembly matters, elder Yanko Yakasai expressed his support for Jonathan to take over from Buhari in 2023.
According to him former President, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo did two terms which has effectively blocked the chances of the Southwest. Elder Yakasai who is also the chairman Northern Elders Council (NEC) believes under the circumstances Jonathan is entitling to second term.
“The people in the South-South are entitle to do two terms because Obasanjo did two terms. Southeast and Southwest are in different zone. Supporting Jonathan quickest route to South-East presidency.
“I made a statement, that the quickest way for Southeast to get to power is to support Jonathan to become the President. In which case two zones, Southwest and South-South would have completed their two tenure. But Jonathan contested and did not win in 2015, the south –south should be allowed to complete its second tenure”. He said.
Daybreak investigations further revealed that the Ebonyi state governor David Umahi who few days ago announced his defection from the PDP was present at the gathering, other prominent attendees were, Abubakar Badaru, governor of Jigawa state, Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi and chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and other party chieftains including Ken Nnamani, a former Senate president.
The source who spoke to Daybreak further revealed that the defection of governor Umahi to the APC was only preparatory to the defection of Goodluck Jonathan noting that the former governor was on his way out of the PDP to APC.
“If all goes as planned Goodluck Jonathan will join the APC and may be contesting the 2023 Presidential Election on the APC platform” he also revealed that two incumbent governors from the North have equally been shortlisted to be considered as his possible Vice Presidential candidate.
“Jonathan is top on President Buhari’s list of possible successors. The Senate President will be zoned to the Southwest and the House of Reps Speaker to the North Central, these are the permutations”.
“The arrangement is to allow the South to complete its tenure which was truncated by the election of Buhari so that power can return back to the north”
While the PDP governors failed to send any message to the former president on his birthday the Northern Governors’ Forum led by the governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong had sent warm felicitations to Jonathan on his birthday.
In the statement, Simon Lalong said the former president has continued to serve the country with zeal and commitment. Lalong described the former president as a true democrat whose “passion for the growth of democracy is reflected not only in his records while in office but also of his current engagements where he has travelled round the world to monitor elections and also engage with stakeholders”.
He also commended Jonathan for patriotism and dedication to the unity, peace and development of Nigeria as well as offering counsel on national issues. He enjoined him to continue to work to promote the interest of the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari had also felicitated with Jonathan, saying he has brought honour to Nigeria. His congratulatory message was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled ‘President Buhari greets former President Goodluck Jonathan on 63rd birthday’.
The statement read, “Onn behalf of the Federal Government and Nigerians in general, President Muhammadu Buhari warmly felicitates with former President Goodluck “Jonathan on his 63rd birthday, November 20, 2020, congratulating him for a life of service that has brought honour and goodwill to the country.
“The President notes, with appreciation, the peculiar and remarkable climb of the former president on Nigeria’s political ladder, and dedication that has kept him working most recently as ECOWAS envoy to bring peace to the Republic of Mali.
APC Govs’ visit to Jonathan an endorsement of PDP—Ologbondiyan
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its reaction said that the visit of governors of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to former president Goodluck Jonathan was an endorsement of the PDP and an apology by the opposition party over the lies it told to grab power.
In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja weekend, the party posited that the visit has further affirmed that “Nigeria, as a nation, is better under the governance of the PDP.”
The PDP stated: “The visit, which is a clear endorsement of the acceptability of the PDP administration, also indicates that the APC, in 2015, only created artificial symbols of misgovernance, corruption and other alleged misgivings just to discredit our party and grab the levers of power to achieve their selfish desires.
“It is evident that the Jonathan administration succeeded in office basically because our party understands the nuances of our nation, which we translated into people-oriented polices and programmes, in line with the manifesto of our party, to make life comfortable for Nigerians.
“This visit to Jonathan by the APC governors is a direct acceptance of the successes recorded by our party in building a strong nation with a virile economy that was rated as one of the fastest growing economies of the world.
“The visit is therefore a subtle step by APC governors into the corridors of the PDP in agreement that our party holds the solution to the myriads of problems brought to our nation by their APC and President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The PDP therefore receives the visit by APC governors as an apology by the APC to our party and Nigerians over the lies, beguilements and other irresponsible allegations deployed by the APC to grab power, only to lead our nation on a journey to nowhere.”
“For us in the PDP, the unity, stability, progress and development of our dear nation remain paramount and as such, we will not allow the failed APC and its pranksters, who have betrayed the trust of Nigerians, to mislead them once again,” the statement added.
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