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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected the presidential form of the All Progressives Congress purchased for him on Monday by a group of supporters from the northern region.
Speaking through his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president said in a statement hours after the news that the group had bought the form for him that he did not authorise the purchase and consider the move by the group “an insult.”
“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 authorise 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,” Eze said.
SaharaReporters had in several reports noted that there had been increased speculations about whether the former President would run for the 2023 presidency.
But the former President has yet to state whether he would contest or not, neither has he spoken about the possibility of switching parties from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
A coalition of northern groups had purchased the APC presidential nomination form and the expression of interest form at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, informing journalists that it was for Jonathan.
In April 2022, a crowd of supporters had held a rally, calling on him to join the race.
Addressing them he said, “Yes, you are calling me to come and declare for the 2023 presidency, yes I can’t tell I am declaring; the political process is ongoing, just watch out,” he had said at the time.
If elected as President again, Jonathan can only serve for one term of four years, according to the constitution.
He was first elected in 2011 after completing the tenure of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
President Buhari defeated Jonathan in the 2015 presidential elections.
