Former President Goodluck Jonathan was on late Monday dragged into the 2023 presidential contest as a Northern group made up of nomadic pastoralists and Almajiri communities, contributed money and bought the N100 million presidential form of the ruling All Progressives Congress for him.
They also promised the group had 14 million ready votes to ensure victory for the former president.
The leader of the group, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told journalists in Abuja that their decision to support Jonathan was based on his s track record of support for the Almajiri and Fulani communities.
“We are ready not only to purchase this form for Goodluck Jonathan, but I want to assure you that our communities, the nomadic pastoralists have the voting power of about nine million votes plus the advisory who also can produce about five million, about 14 million, all we are asking other Nigerians is to give us at least two million and we are home and right.”
“I represent two of the most vulnerable communities in our country. The nomadic pastoralists and the Almajiri communities have decided to purchase this form for our former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to come back and rule this country and continue with the good work he has started.
“You may recall that during Goodluck Jonathan’s era he was the first president since the independence of Nigeria who has found it expedient, who was magnanimous enough to build the Almajiri a comprehensive policy of reformation and integration of the Almajiri into the mainstream educational system in Nigeria. It was the dream and the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan that if that program had continued it would one day produce from the Almajiri system of education; doctors, and engineers.
“Unfortunately, that program was kept aside as soon as he left. Another part of the vulnerable community that Goodluck Jonathan wanted to really give a sense of belonging to was the Fulani community, the nomadic pastoralists.”
According to him, members of the group sold their cows to raise the N100m fee to purchase the nomination and expression of interest forms to be presented to Jonathan.
“As you may have heard, a lot of interest groups have been coming out to urge him to contest but we felt that because it is the deadline that was given whether he agrees or not, we need to purchase this form.
“Goodluck Jonathan is for all of Nigeria. As Nigerians we believe he has the interest of this country at heart, he will accept us.
“You can see that we are almost late to buy these forms, we have been trying with the Almajiri and the Fulanis selling our cows. We were able to raise this just yesterday and we decided to come and purchase these forms,” he explained.
His long-awaited move had been sign-posted by many incidents, including visits by his supporters urging him to run for the presidency come 2023. One of such visits was done last month by a group who stormed his office in Abuja, who urged him to declare his interest in the race.
The supporters, both men and women demonstrated outside of Jonathan’s office, displaying posters, some of which said ‘Jonathan, Please Run’, ‘Jonathan, do the needful’, ‘Jonathan for 2023’, ‘Jonathan Declare Now’ and ‘Goodluck Please Come Back, We Love You’.
His move to APC was also said to have been supported and pursued by two governors from the North.
Jonathan’s decision to join APC as a presidential candidate has come to many as a surprise, although the story has been around since last year. This is more so given the long list of contenders even on the platform of the APC, including Bola Tinubu, who was the first to declare openly for the post, before others such as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and others made their declaration.
But two major reasons have emerged among political analysts as possible reasons for the move. First, there are talks about the present administration may not comfortable with Tinubu as successor.
The second reason is part of a plan to ensure that power returns to the North in 2027, just four years, not eight.
Under this arrangement, Jonathan he will run the country for only four years in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), according to the Daily Trust newspaper.
“There are reports that some APC bigwigs are inviting Jonathan so that he can win the election, finish his four years and return power to the North in 2027.
“He was vice president during President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s tenure. But when Yar’adua died in 2010, he rose to the office of president and completed Yar’adua’s tenure. In 2011, he contested the election and won, but in 2015, he was defeated by President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC,” Daily Trust said on Monday.
However, Jonathan’s pokesman, Ikechukwu Eze has said the former President was aware of the group’s action.
Below is Eze’s statement:
“It has come to our notice that a group has purportedly purchased Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms, of the All Progressives Congress APC, in the name of former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
“We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorize it.
“We want to state that if the former President wanted to contest an election, he would make his intentions clear to the public and will not enter through the back door.
“While we appreciate the overwhelming request by a cross-section of Nigerians, for Dr. Jonathan to make himself available for the 2023 Presidential election, we wish to state, that he has not in anyway, committed himself to this request. Buying a presidential aspiration form in the name Dr. Jonathan without his consent, knowing the position he had held in this country, is considered an insult to his person. The general public is therefore advised to disregard it”.