By Ben Ogbemudia, David Lawani, and Cajetan Mmuta
Backlash yesterday trailed the alleged move by some northern stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to convince a former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to contest the 2023 presidential elections.

Although it is not clear what platform the former president may be contesting if he concedes to pressure, there are insinuations that his frequent visits to Aso Rock in recent times to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari might be an indication that he is leaning towards the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jonathan was the candidate of the PDP in the 2015 election and was defeated by Buhari, who was the APC candidate. The Buhari-led administration had since assumption of office waged war against some of Jonathan’s aides considered to be corrupt, with several numbers of them tried for alleged corruption, including a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and a National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, a retired army colonel.

But following the persistent call for power shift to the South, ThisNigeria learnt that the northern interest groups within the APC are allegedly afraid of losing power for eight years Buhari’s successor might spend in the office. It is speculated that the northern power brokers are of the view that Jonathan, having been in office for four years, could be supported to spend a term in office to make it possible for another northerner to emerge President after being out of power for just four years.

It’ll be shameful thing to do, says Otubanjo
Reacting to Jonathan’s alleged bid, a retired professor of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Femi Otubanjo, said though the ex-president has the right to contest for the presidency, there is a problem of platform for him to do so.

ThisNigeria and conversations on our nationhood by Simon Reef Musa

According to the university don, “Goodluck Jonathan was a former president on the platform of the PDP, and to this moment, he has not renounced his membership of the PDP. People, in their mischief and political manoeuvring, have decided to come and get him involved. So many groups will start talking, but it does not matter. I can assure you that the most important element in the choice of president in any election is the incumbent President. “Most political parties are beholden to the President and it is whatever he says that they will go, there is nobody that can challenge it- that is the way it has been.

So, don’t let us deceive ourselves, if the President wants Jonathan, of course, he would come up but if there are groups who are trying to manoeuvre the President to frustrate the Bola Tinubu agenda, which appears to be an agenda that was set before 2015 because Tinubu would have been Buhari’s deputy if not for the Muslim/Muslim ticket. Knowing the role Tinubu played in the establishment of APC and the funding of Buhari’s presidential election, there is reason to believe that when Buhari finishes he would hand it over to Tinubu. “So, that is a more viable proposition than the Jonathan one. What is Jonathan going to offer APC that will make them need him so badly? Is it his popularity in the North, South-West, South-South, or South-East?

“What will be the advantage of the APC fielding Jonathan that they will go and call him from his semi-political retirement, force him to defect to the PDP, which will be a shameful thing to do for a man of his status because it will smear his legacy for life. What will he be looking for in life? Is it the prestige of the office that he held for six years, or the money that he is going to make, which ordinarily he has made?

What did he forget in Aso Rock? – Bode George
Former Chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and chieftain of the PDP, Chief Bode George, said: “We know that those who want to use him will throw all kinds of things at him like bait, but we appeal to ex-President Jonathan to drop that proposal like a hot potato.

“Jonathan is part of the founding fathers of the PDP and he rose to that level. I recall that after winning a governorship election in Bayelsa in 2007, somehow fate landed the vice-presidency on his lap, and he became the President on this same platform. He rose to the highest level in this country through this platform and if, for any reason, I want to appeal to him to drop it like a hot potato.

“This is the time this nation needs the best in power. Jonathan should just quietly back off no matter how they try to woo him. What is he going back there to do? I hope all our people in this country should be able to talk to him, from the humble beginning, God anointed him, so he should respect himself. He has done his part and he should be waiting for God’s righteousness.”

Igbo ancestors will work against him- Ohanaeze
From the eastern plank, apex Igbo Socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, thinks it is the North that is edging Jonathan’s return.

In a statement issued by a factional Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group stated that it is ‘not losing sleep over the rumoured bid. The group said the ex-president’s aspirations compliments the effort to make sure that power shifts to the South from the North. “He is not a threat to Igbo Presidency 2023 because the old Eastern region is one and tied up with the same destinies and bonded by the same brotherhood.”

According to Ohanaeze, the Igbo are committed to ensuring that one of their own succeeds President Buhari in 2023, adding that “at the appropriate time, we will conquer”.

It advised Jonathan to “look before he leaps, to avoid destroying the hard-earned reputation he built for himself. We will weigh all options available for 2023 after the party presidential primaries, then we will take a stand for 2023 when candidates have emerged as the party’s presidential flag bearer.

“The North is afraid of an eight years northern presidency. They prefer four-year single tenure in 2023, for a possible 2027 Northern Presidency, Jonathan is the only option being constrained by the constitution for a single tenure,” Ohanaeze reasoned.

Corroborating Isiguzoro’s statement, spokesperson of another factional Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbonnia, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, warned Jonathan against his moves.

“The Igbo spirit will be against him. The Igbo suffered for him; now that it is the turn of Igbo, for him to interfere such as to spoil the Igbo chance, it is not a good thing for him. It is simply unconscionable for him to contemplate contesting the presidency at a time it is generally known to be the turn of the South-East; it is most unconscionable,” he said.

Also, a lawyer, John Okoli-Akirika said, “As of now Jonathan is a member of PDP and he has not said that he is defecting to the APC. If he wants to contest for the presidency, he can contest it within the ambit of the PDP platform. “But if for any reason he decides to change platform, it is also his right, but the onus is now on him to tell Nigerians why those who fought against him in a very fierce, unfriendly, and unconventional manner in 2015 are now the same people asking him to come and contest on their platform.”

Similarly, Chairman of the board of International Society for Civil Liberties Organisation and Rule of Law (Intersociety), Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi said, “There is nothing wrong in anybody expressing his or her interest in vying for any electoral seat including the presidency.

“As far as I am concerned, Jonathan has no moral ground to indicate interest to govern the country again. For me, the way Jonathan lacks moral ground with the context of social and ethnic considerations, the same way the South-West geo-political zone lacks it, the same way North-West geo-political zone lacks it.”

Meanwhile, the northern groups appear undecided over Jonathan. Spokesperson of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said, as far as the group is concerned, “We are not yet into the matter of the selection of candidates for the next presidency. We’re rather more concerned with the radical review of the prevailing leadership selection process.”

“We are more concerned with achieving a paradigm shift from the old packet of political leaders who see power as an end in itself while they are ill-prepared or ill-equipped to lead a people desperately in need of good leadership.

“And I can’t remember when the northern position against the zoning of the presidency to the South changed. Meanwhile, no one would deny former President Jonathan the right to seek the presidency once again if he so wishes.”

However, on a different plane, two groups have denied that Jonathan could contest for the presidency, especially on the APC platform.

National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, described speculations of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s defection to the APC as a serious ploy by the Buhari administration to divert attention from ‘monumental failures’.

He said, “Let’s tell you that Goodluck Jonathan is a potential PDP candidate. He is a PDP-card carrying member. When we had our national convention, he sent in his apology for not making it. The same thing happened when we held a retreat and the inauguration of our national executives because he was on a mission on behalf of the country and Africa. “Jonathan is highly respected in the country and by the international community, so APC should hold on to their propaganda, when the time comes, we will know who is fooling who.”

It’s all rumour, say ex-President’s aide, BMO
However, the Co-ordinator of Buhari Media Organisations (BMO), Niyi Akinsiju, said Jonathan’s chances are hampered because “Nigerians have passed the verdict, judgement on him”.

Akinsiju said the rumoured insinuations in some quarters that former President Goodluck Jonathan might contest the 2023 presidential election due to his frequent visits to President Muhammadu Buhari for support had no iota of truth in it. He added that the allusion to the visit that he was going to contest was misinterpreted.

The coordinator said that some of the visits Jonathan undertook for Buhari were principally international assignments in terms of mediation for peace and justice in some African countries that have been plagued with clashes and other sundry challenges.

“The insinuations have no grounds. I can tell you for certain that these are mere manifestations of some people’s fancied political scenario. I can assure you that the rumour flying around doesn’t have any iota of truth or facts.

“The rumours of the former president running again are vented by idle politicians desperate for their morbid desires to have flesh in the public space. These elements made the former President’s visits to President Muhammadu Buhari in the Aso Villa the hub of their rumours because they are desperate to give life to their profane imagination.
“The fact, however, is that GEJ had been meeting with Mr President on account of diplomatic matters especially as related to countries bedevilled by military takeover within the continent.”

A spokesman for Jonathan, Ikechukwu Eze, also described reports that the ex-president would defect from the PDP to APC and run for president in 2023 as ‘mere rumours’. Eze said the meetings with Buhari at Aso Rock had nothing to do with defection or presidential ambition.