2023: Ex-President Jonathan Makes U-Turn On APC Presidential Ticket
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is considering running on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after two hours of meeting with leaders and members of the Fulani community, who procured the N100 million presidential nomination forms for him.
The former president reportedly met with the Fulani pastoralists between 11p.m on Monday and 1a.m on Tuesday to sort out issues regarding their purchase of the presidential nomination forms without his consent, a development, which made him reject the offer and denounce those involved in the action.
“We wish to categorically state that Dr Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorise it,” Jonathan had said in a statement by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze.
However, it was learned that at the meeting with the Fulani community in Abuja, the leader of the team that procured the form for him, Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi, apologised to the former president and pleaded with him to pardon their indiscretion and accept the offer to run.
The pastoralists are reported to have told Jonathan that they bought the form for him as a demonstration of their appreciation for the N60 billion investments he made for the Almajiris during his tenure in the form of schools and investment opportunities.
A source at the meeting pointed out that after listening to the Fulani community, Jonathan reluctantly accepted their plea to consider running for the APC ticket as suggested by them and promised to give them feedback as soon as possible but did not, however, give a specific date.
The former president also asked the Fulani community never to embark on any political assignment on his behalf without first clearing with him given his position in Nigeria and the international community.
Jonathan is said to have also told the Fulani delegation that he was uncomfortable to hear about the purchase of the nomination form for him just like any other person, an action, which he considered insulting to his status as a former president of Nigeria.
NEWSFLASH NIGERIA learned that majority of the inner caucus of the former president’s loyalists, who had vehemently opposed his running on the APC platform, had gradually withdrawn their opposition to the idea and had given him the nod to go ahead.
As a result, some of the key loyalists are reported to have joined with the Fulani community in completing the APC presidential nomination form for Jonathan so as to meet the deadline for the return of the document to the party secretariat in Abuja.
“I can tell you that Jonathan’s loyalists cut across party lines and the majority of them have really been encouraging him to run. That is why some of them are helping with the completion of the nomination form for the former president,” a reliable source said.
“The Fulani Group of 10 led by Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi said they purchased the form out of the gladness of their hearts as a way of paying back former president Jonathan for being kind to them while in office.
“The Fulani community recalled that Jonathan built hundreds of Almajiri schools during his tenure and also allocated the pastoralists cattle seed funds,” the source said.
It will be recalled that Jonathan had on Monday rejected the nomination form presented to him by the Fulani community and upbraided them for insulting him with their action.
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He, however, later met with the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in a move seen as an acceptance of the offer to run for the ticket of the party, if given the chance.
On a day that the APC scheduled the screening of aspirants to begin on Friday after raking in N2.63 billion from the sale of presidential nomination forms, former President Jonathan’s moves elicited mixed reactions in the polity.
Meanwhile, the APC, on Tuesday, ended its sale of nomination and expression of interest forms, with no fewer than 25 aspirants jostling for its presidential ticket.
Although the directorate of the organization was still computing the figures of aspirants including those who picked forms in their states as of press time.
NEWSFLASH NIGERIA gathered that there are at least 105 governorship aspirants, nearly a thousand National Assembly aspirants and more than 1,500 aspirants for states Houses of Assembly.
A revised timetable issued by the National Organizing Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, fixed the last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents is now set for today, May 11, 2022.
“Also, Congresses to elect Local Government Area (LGA), State and National Delegates will now be held from Thursday, May 12 to Saturday, May 14, 2022”.
27 presidential aspirants
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Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello
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Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi
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Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba
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Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi
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Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio
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Madam Uju Kennedy – N30m
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
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Former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole
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Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun
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Former National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole
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Former Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani
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Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar
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Labour and Employment Minister, Senator Chris Ngige
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Former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha
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Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade
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Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi
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Mr Tein Jack-Rich
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CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele
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Science and Technology Minister, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu
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Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan
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President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina
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Ondo Senator, Robert Ajayi Borroffice
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Lagos Pastor, Tunde Bakare
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Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo
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Former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani
Total = N2.630billion
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