2023 ELECTION: Spokesperson Opens Up On Jonathan’s Presidential Ambition, Defection To APC
The spokesperson to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Ikechukwu Eze has debunked rumours that his principal is putting structures in place to contest the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
He also ruled out the possibility of Jonathan defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
The media aide went further to explain that the recent meetings between his boss and President Muhammadu Buhari have no political implication linked with the 2023 presidency or a planned defection to the APC.
Eze made the series of denials as rumours continue to gather and spread about Jonathan’s alleged ambition to succeed Buhari in 2023 amidst clamours for a southern presidency.
The poster sighted by our correspondent was tagged “GEJ Is Coming Back” and according to details on it, the poster is sponsored by a group identified as the National Agenda For Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
The campaign poster has a picture of Jonathan and signs off with a slogan that says “coalition for a better Nigeria 2023.”
But when contacted on the issues, Jonathan’s spokesperson, Eze who was initially reluctant to speak on the rumours as he said they have become recurring questions said there is no truth in the speculations.
He submitted that Jonathan met Buhari on Thursday to brief the President in his capacity as the special envoy of the Economic Community For West African States (ECOWAS) on political developments in Mali.
The media aide also denied a meeting between Jonathan and some political campaign coordinators targeted at working out moves for his 2023 presidential ambition.
“Everything they are saying is speculation,” Punch quoted him to have said.
He added, “Defection issue and presidential ambition are all rumours. It has no foundation. We do not want to be reacting to such (things) again. We have issued statements on this before.
“Former President Jonathan went to the Villa to brief the President on the forthcoming ECOWAS meeting in Ghana. The meeting will discuss the political happenings in Mali. So, as a special envoy, he was at the Presidential Villa to brief President Buhari.
“There are issues in Mali and at the forthcoming meeting, ECOWAS leaders are to look at the transition timetable proposed by the Malian rulers and take a position on it. It is also at this meeting that a decision would be taken on whether to sanction the Malian military ruler or not. This is the issue that took oga (Jonathan) to the villa.”
