Jonathan declared that he never purchased any form to contest for president again
The immediate past president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has stated categorically clear that he will never contest for the office of the president again. Jonathan who was president for six years before he was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, said he would be demeaning himself were he to start campaigning and lobbying to be president of Nigeria again.
The former Bayelsa governor disclosed this in an interview contained in a book written by Nathaniel Bivan titled, “My Time As Chaplain IN Aso Rock,” and presented to the public on Tuesday. The book is about Obioma Onwuzurumba, who was the Chaplain of the Aso Rock Villa Chapel, during Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration.
In the interview, Jonathan said, “If you wake up tomorrow and see that I am President again, that means there may have been circumstances beyond my control. But not to go and pick one form and go and start lobbying people and running for campaigns; I can’t do that again. If I do that, I will diminish myself.”
Furthermore, Jonathan denied ever buying forms to contest presidency again, stating that the rumour he was contesting again in the 2023 general election was nothing but false.
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Recall that ahead of the June 2022 APC presidential primary, a group called the Nomadic Pastoralists and Almajirai Community, and led by Ibrahim Abdullahi, purchased the N100m nomination and expression of interest forms in Jonathan’s name.
Responding, Jonathan said he was enjoying the drama as he had no intention of running for the office of the president again.
He stated, “I was enjoying the drama. At least they are not insulting me. After all, I was pursued out of the office that I was not good enough. So, if now, Nigerians are saying, ‘Oh, this man should come,’ that means they are cleaning me up. So, let me enjoy the drama.
“I was not disturbed. I know I cannot go and start struggling to be President again. It wasn’t only Nigerians who were asking me such questions, even most of the top ambassadors -the American ambassador, the UK High Commissioner, France, and all of them. They came to ask me whether I would contest. I don’t think I would contest any election.”
Jonathan added that the only role that appeals to him now is contributing to the sustenance of democratic rule in African countries.