Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described as an insult to his person, Monday’s purchase of All Progressive Congress nomination forms for him by a Fulani group.
The groups that bought the forms in his name had claimed that it did so to bring back the former president because of his alleged good work’s when he served as the President of Nigeria.
Jonathan was defeated in 2015 by incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari after what appeared to be Nigerians’ total rejection of the Peoples Democratic Party.
However, Jonathan issued two statements to deny having any knowledge of the action of the groups.
While he was very categorical in the first statement issued by his Media Adviser Ikechukwu Eze, his tone was not so firm in the second statement which was a revised edition of the first.
The first statement read: “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 authorize 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.”
But in the revised statement, also from Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan was more conciliatory and did not frown at those who bought the forms on his behalf as he did in the first statement.
While still claiming that he was not aware of the move and denied authorising the purchase, he neither said it was an insult to his person nor advised the public to ignore the gambit.
The revised letter reads: “It has come to the notice of His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, that a group has purportedly purchased Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms of the All Progressives Congress (the APC), in his name.
“We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorize it.
“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.
“We thank the general public for their concern, as we continue to encourage citizens’ participation in the affairs of the country.”
Many Nigerians blame the former President for not speaking out forcefully against the gambit before now.
The former President had kept everyone guessing after a group of protesters stormed his office three weeks ago and insisted on his contest in 2023.
Jonathan had told them he was watching the political terrain .