APC denies plan to field Jonathan in 2023

• Lamido: The govs are hypocrites

A former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has called governors of All Progressives Congress (APC) hypocrites for reportedly pushing for former President Goodluck Jonathan to run in 2023 on their party’s platform.

But the ruling party’s interim chairman, Yobe State Governor Mala Buni, dismissed the speculation, saying the party had no such agenda.

Lamido, who spoke during an interview on the Arise News programme, faulted the APC’s moves to draft the former president into the 2023 race, wondering why the party would be clamouring for the return of a man it had described as “weak and clueless”.

“To me, I think that they are being merely hypocrites. They (APC governors) are looking for him; is it because there are no presidential materials in the APC? This is one of the heights of hypocrisy,” he stated.

Responding to the speculation, Buni told the BBC Hausa Service, “Those peddling such information are afraid. But for now, there is nothing in the APC which has anything to do with the aspiration for 2023.

“Even if someone wants to base assumption on our recent visit to him during his birthday, we were there because of his capacity as a former President of Nigeria.

“We must give credit to former President Jonathan on the issue of peace – how he accepted defeat in 2015 and resigned to fate. That has qualified him to be a statesman and he is now among our fathers.”

Buni said it was customary to visit one another and exchange pleasantries.

The governor said, “Our visit to Jonathan was pronounced because of his status as a former President. That could be why some may think there was something beneath.

“There are numerous such visits to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APC. Why are others not being mentioned?”

But when asked whether the APC would consider Jonathan should he indicate interest, Buni said the option was not foreclosed, adding that the party would decide.

He said, “Even in America where we got this democracy, I have not seen where people are being confined to a limit.

“You are talking of democracy and at the same time talking of giving him a ticket. Don’t forget even when President Buhari went to revalidate party membership in Daura, he said it is the people at the grass roots that will select leaders upwards; that no one should expect to be crowned from Abuja.

“This has shown that in the APC now, it is from the lower level upwards, not that people would be imposed from the top.

“Who are we to say we are considering Jonathan? How? It has to be a party affair and once it is a party affair, then, we are talking about the people. So, we have nothing like that on our agenda.

“What we have now, and of importance to us, is to ensure peace amongst party members.

“Also, to bring members of other political parties, whichever party it might be, whoever wants, should come into the APC. This is our plan for now.

“We are yet to start talking about aspirants; we are not in any discussion about aspirants.”