Salihu Lukman, who is the All Progressives Congress’s National Vice Chairman for the North-West, said that former President Goodluck Jonathan is not a member of the party.
In a phone interview with The PUNCH, Lukman said this. At the same time, reports in the media say that some leaders of the ruling party are trying to get Jonathan into the APC presidential race.
He said that he didn’t like hearing in the news that Jonathan was the joker or chosen candidate for the party.
“I can tell you this right away,” he said. As far as this party is concerned, Jonathan is not a member of the APC. Many of us find it very strange what is being talked about in the news. We have no idea if anyone has bought a form in Jonathan’s name, and we have stopped selling forms.
“All of those rumors in the news, yes, we know that anything can happen in this country. But that won’t be possible as long as this party is going on and some of us are there in important roles.
“You can quote me on the fact that I said it wouldn’t work. Everyone who talks about it is talking nonsense.”
Lukman said he didn’t know that some high-ranking members of the party and the president are still interested in him running for office until they told him.
“I don’t know if the chairman or anyone else on the National Working Committee says something like this. But if someone said something like that, it must have been a mistake. It can’t happen.
“As far as we know, Jonathan is not a member of APC. Also, it’s not a secret that we belong to a political party. Please feel free to quote me,” he asked.
Lukman criticized news stories that said the party had settled for consensus. He said that the APC is ready to give every presidential candidate a fair chance.
As of the time, this report was written, no one from the former president’s camp could be reached for comment.
We were unable to get in touch with Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan’s spokesman.
He didn’t answer our correspondent’s calls or text messages.
Friday, a Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, ruled that the former President is allowed to run for president again in 2023.
Justice Isa Hamma Dashen, who was in charge of the case, ruled on it. The case was marked FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022.
Dashen also said that a law that goes back in time can’t stop Jonathan from running for president again.
- Tags: APC, Goodluck Jonathan
