2023: Buhari disowns Jonathan’s APC presidential race
President Muhammadu Buhari has distanced himself from any plot to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential race.
Buhari made this known, two days after the former President got a reprieve from a Federal High Court, removing the constitutional obstruction that now makes him eligible to contest the 2023 presidency.
Presidency source late on Sunday revealed that President Buhari has taken measures to distance himself from the Jonathan plot.
Newsflash Nigeria learnt that few APC members, including a Northern governor, are behind the push to draft Jonathan into the ruling party’s presidential primary.
The impeccable source in the Villa disclosed that instructions have consequently been given that there shall be no public release of photos of any meetings between the former President and the incumbent at this time as the President does not want such images to be used to confer any modicum of support to the plot to get Jonathan into the race.
According to the source, there are also concerns that the aides of the ex-President are “involved in actively keeping the plot alive in the media by releasing photos of his visits to the APC Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Alhaji Mamman Daura, the President’s influential nephew, to insinuate that these two gentlemen are in support of the plot.”
However, while speculative news reports have claimed the APC has granted Jonathan a waiver to join the presidential race even though he is not known to have properly fulfilled membership requirements, there has not been any formal confirmation that he submitted the presidential nomination forms.
Meanwhile, the source added that the former president is not being precluded from visiting the Presidential Villa at this time in line with protocol, being a former President in good standing and due to his international assignments for which he has to regularly brief President Buhari.
READ ALSO: 2023: Jonathan ‘Adopted’ As APC Consensus Candidate
Although President Buhari has not indicated who he is backing for the APC presidential primary, the Presidency source explained that “Jonathan is certainly not in the picture at all and the mentioning of his name has been invoking feelings of absurdity and ridicule in the Villa.”
The source recalled that “when during a public interview earlier this year, a journalist asked the president to use one word to describe the PDP, he instantly said ‘failure,’ how then would the same person who strongly feels that way would then be contemplating supporting the same PDP candidate he roundly defeated?”
It was also disclosed that neither the APC Chairman nor Daura is behind the plot to draft Jonathan, as is being suggested. According to the source, “it’s only the aides of the ex-president that are going to town to create such an impression.”
The source further added: “All of these plots would be over in a matter of days as the APC presidential primaries are now irretrievably set and the President’s choice would be known.”
Meanwhile, the APC has listed the 23 presidential aspirants expected to be commenced screening on Monday (today) but Jonathan is not on the list of presidential aspirants.
The APC fixed Monday and Tuesday for the screening of the party’s presidential aspirants.
A total of 23 presidential aspirants are to participate in the screening exercise but former President Goodluck Jonathan is not on the list of presidential aspirants.
According to party guidelines, 11 aspirants are expected to be screened on Monday while the remaining 12 are scheduled to participate in the exercise on Tuesday.
Though a northern coalition bought the APC presidential expression of interest and nomination forms for Jonathan, the former president had denied approving the purchase.
Despite ongoing speculations about him contesting, the former president is still yet to make any definitive statement on if he will seek a return bid.
Felix Morka, the APC spokesman, had said 28 presidential forms were purchased, but three persons — Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour; Timipre Sylva, Minister of State For petroleum: and Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — did not submit their forms.
A form was also purchased for Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), but he had said he was not interested in contesting.
Below are the names of the presidential hopefuls for screening as listed by APC.
- Chukwuemeja Uwaezuoke Nwajiuba
- Badaru Abubakar
- Robert A. Boroffice
- Uju Ken-Ohanenye
- Nicholas Felix
- Nweze David Umahi
- Ken Nnamani
- Gbolahan B. Bakare
- Ibikunle Amosun
- Ahmed B. Tinubu
- Ahmad Rufai Sani
- Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
- Oladimeji Sabon Bankole
- John Kayode Fayemi
- Godswill Obot Akpabio
- Yemi Osinbajo
- Rochas Anayo Okorocha
- Yahaya Bello
- Tein Jack-Rich
- Christopher Onu
- Ahmad Lawan
- Ben Ayade
- Ikeobasi Mokelu
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