Former President Goodluck Jonathan may finally run for the 2023 presidency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, it has been learnt.
This came as he is said to have made a U-turn on his earlier rejection of the N100 million APC presidential form purchased for him by a Fulani group.
Recall that his team had earlier rejected the form and said that Jonathan is not a member of the APC and is not running for the 2023 presidency.
However, the former president, after allegedly engaging leaders and members of the Fulani community who procured the presidential nomination forms for him in a two-hour meeting on Tuesday night, is said to be considering joining the presidential race.
The former president reportedly met with the Fulani pastoralists between 11 p.m. on Monday and 1 a.m. on Tuesday to sort out issues regarding the purchase of the presidential nomination forms without his consent, a development which made him reject the offer and denounce those involved in the action.
Recall that Jonathan’s media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, in a statement had said, “We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorise it.”
However, the Fulanis in the meeting with Jonathan, it was learnt apologized and pleaded with him to consider their request.
A source who claimed to be at the meeting said 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.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that most of the supporters of the former president who didn’t support the move have been giving a nod and support.
“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 added.
Recall that Jonathan on Monday met with the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a move which people saw as a move to prepare the ground for him.
