The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has distant itself from former President Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that he is not a member of the party even as some reports suggest that he is likely to emerge as a consensus candidate ahead of its presidential primary election.
However, The New Diplomat had earlier reported that Jonathan’s name was missing on the list of presidential aspirants released by the party.
According to the National Vice Chairman, North-West of APC Salihu Lukman, Jonathan is not a member of the party, adding that he finds such reports annoying.
He made the disclosure while fielding questions from pressmen at a time media reports are suggesting that some leaders of the ruling party are dragging Jonathan into the APC presidential race.
He said: “I can tell you this straight away. Jonathan is not a member of the APC as far as this party is concerned. What is being discussed in the media is very strange to many of us. We are not even aware that anybody has bought form in the name of Jonathan and we have closed the sales of forms.
“All those media speculations, yes we know everything can be possible in this country. But as far as this party is concerned and some of us are there in critical structure, that is not going to be possible.
“You can quote me on this that I said it is not going to be possible. Anybody who is talking about it is just talking nonsense.”
When reminded that there are still some high ranking members of the party and in the presidency who are still keen on his candidacy, Lukman disclosed that he was unaware of it.
“I am not aware whether the chairman or any member of the National Working Committee makes such a statement. But where such a statement was made, it must have been done out of error. It is not possible.
“Jonathan is not a member of APC as far as we know. Besides, our membership in the political party is not a secret. Feel free to quote me please,” he said.
Lukman slammed media reports saying the party has settled for consensus, saying the APC is willing to give every presidential aspirant a level playing field.
As of the time of filing this report, the camp of the former president could not be reached for reaction.
Efforts made to contact Jonathan’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, proved abortive.
He neither picked the calls of our correspondent nor replied his sms.
The New Diplomat recalls that a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, had ruled on Friday that the former President is eligible to contest the 2023 presidential election.
The presiding judge, Justice Isa Hamma Dashen, gave the judgment in a suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022.
Dashen also held that Jonathan’s right to vie for the office of president again cannot be stopped by any retroactive law.
