2023: Jonathan’s Rumoured Comeback Bid Causes Stir in APC

•It means we’ve failed, says former adviser to Buhari

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Speculations that former President Goodluck Jonathan was being considered as one of the options to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari by some elements in the All Progressives Congress (APC), have begun to cause a stir in the ruling party and unease amongst its members.

To that extent, some members of the APC have started to speak to the heart of the matter, which they did not only condemn, but reckoned held serious implications for the party.

One of such persons was Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila from Kano State, who contended that those rooting for Jonathan as president in 2023 were doing a great disservice to the party.

Kawu, a former three-term member of the House of Representatives, said in a statement yesterday, said Jonathan had played his role and should be left alone, noting that APC has candidates with better credentials from the southern part of the country.

The former lawmaker, who also served as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on House of Representatives’ Matters, said pushing for Jonathan to become APC’s candidate would automatically mean the party has failed.

Describing Jonathan’s backers as “enemies within”, Kawu said APC has qualified and credible candidates from the southern part of the country, who can eminently contest the APC presidential ticket in 2023.

“I don’t think those pushing for Jonathan to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari under our great party wish the APC well. Yes, Jonathan is a reformed democrat, who deserves our commendation.

“But he had played his own role under the PDP. Nobody will take away the credit of conceding defeat as a sitting president and handing over power to the opposition peacefully from Jonathan. As a matter of fact, he is better than some of the people in our party.

“However, we cannot as a party say Jonathan should come and pick our presidential ticket when we have better candidates in our midst. That will mean we have failed,” he said.