•Details Of Their Gameplan In 2023
Ahead
of 2023 presidential election, Northern powerbrokers in the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) are already mounting pressure on former President
Goodluck Jonathan, a national leader of the opposition party, People’s
Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the 2023 election on their platform.
Even though Jonathan is yet to declare whether he will run in 2023 or not, a lot of his supporters and spectators believe he is very much in a vantage position to contest and win the race and his silence is borne out of his desire not to spur any unforeseen plot from any of the major political camp that may constitute a stumbling block.
However,
there are indications that some of the northern political giants are already
mobilizing several groups, both at home and in the diaspora, to rally support
for his ambition, saying it is non-negotiable.
Mai
Mala Buni, Governor of Yobe State and acting national chairman of the APC, led
the governors to Jonathan’s residence in Abuja.
David
Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi, who recently defected to the APC from the PDP; Atiku
Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum;
and Abubakar Badaru, Governor of Jigawa, were at the meeting.
Also
in the team was Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, a former presidential liaison officer to
the National Assembly.
According
to a source within the Aso-Rock, there may be a bigger plan for 2023 and the
former President Jonathan fits into the picture, considering his rising
political profile in global political space, and the international trips for
conflict resolutions among African nations.
It
was also learnt that many APC leaders, especially in the Northern bloc are
favorably disposed to Jonathan taking over from Buhari based on his hard
earned integrity, commitment and deep knowledge of the programmes of the
present administration, especially relating to the management of the economy.
According
to a credible source in the party, “There is no doubt that Jonathan has every
right to vie for the post and he is very qualified based on his record of
one-term Presidency. Besides, he has remained active after leaving office and
has been contributing to the national progress.
“But
for many of us, we believe that if the presidency is zoned to the South, there
will not be any need to micro-zone it to the South-West, the current vice
President should be allowed to take over from the president. We have adduced so
many reasons for this.
“The
first is that he has been tested before and he has proved that he has the
expertise to manage the affairs of a diverse nation like Nigeria.
In
favour of Jonathan, however, he is a recognised democrat. He is a simple man
who as president, conceded defeat to an opposition party, so that his nation
can move on. By that simple but important gesture of patriotism, honour and
nobility, Jonathan has earned the status of a statesman, which he could confer
on himself just by the theatrics of tearing his party card before television
camera.
It
is also claimed that the northern bloc prefers the former president to any
other candidate who may be positioning himself for the office.
The
plan is to elect a president from the South-South and pick a vice who is from
the Hausa/Fulani clan, and ensure that all the key political offices and
appointments remain in the South.
It
also works well for Jonathan, as he would only serve for a term, having served
5 years as an interim and substantive president. This clears the doubt on
possible extension of term for a Southern president. As soon as he’s done with
his four years, power is expected to return to the North. Any candidate from
the South other than Jonathan may want to extend his term beyond 2027.
Jonathan
was initially something of an accidental president who, despite his relative
inexperience, ascended office to lead his country when his predecessor and
boss, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, passed on in 2010.
In
2011, Jonathan surprised many observers in and out of Nigeria by securing the
ruling party’s support for another term and ultimately winning the general
election. His tenure was characterized by soaring unemployment, increased
insecurity in Northern Nigeria as Boko Haram gained strength captured
territory. There was a widespread perception that public funds were being
pocketed by the influential and well-placed people with impunity. To this day,
he and his wife are dogged by various corruption scandals that are still
winding their way through the courts.
To
his credit, however, as the votes were being counted in March 2015, Jonathan
conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari. He asserted that “nobody’s ambition is
worth the blood of any Nigerian. Thus, surprisingly creating a new future for
himself. Since his concession, the former President has been experiencing
something of a renaissance as a senior statesman, at least in certain circles.
He has been honoured with international awards and invited to deliver keynote
speeches at global conferences on everything from peace-building to improving
educational opportunities.
He
is particularly sough tafter as a champion of democracy, and recently led
international election observation teams for the National Democratic Institute
in Liberia and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in South
Africa. His solemn tweets on respect for the rule of law in Ethiopia is covered
in the press. The reinvention of Goodluck Jonathan is a fascinating phenomenon.
Jonathan
has been holding meetings with APC governors since January 2020, and has kept
sealed lips among his own party members, PDP, on the carrot, dangled as the APC.
Though
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019 election, has not
formally indicated interest in running in 2023, his associates have said they
would persuade him to contest again as President Muhammadu Buhari would not be
contesting.
The PDP, it was gathered, has perfected plans to pick his running mate from the South West even as the South East allies have maintained that the region was more focused on the presidency in 2023 rather than playing a second fiddle as running mate.
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