Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been advised not to contest the 2027 general elections “because he would be defeated”.
This was the view of the Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Enugu State, Dr Ben Nwoye, while featuring on the ‘Political Voices’ of Enugu-based Dream 92.5FM on Monday.
Nwoye was reacting to a statement credited to former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, that former President Jonathan’s emergence as the presidential standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party would end the tenure of APC’s President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
He said, “Goodluck Jonathan was the president in 2015 when APC defeated him. It was a transition from a ruling party to the opposition. His acceptance of the defeat made him more popular as a former president.
“He rejected those who advised him to use his power to destroy our democracy. He was beaten with a wide margin.
“Ten years later, if he is coming, we will welcome him. But Jerry Gana is also killing his own party by that singular push. There are other people who want to run under PDP. Jonathan’s problem will not be APC, it is his own party. He has to go through PDP primaries.
“When he emerges, he will be beaten again. Within us, we are rejoicing. I will contribute to his campaign at the primaries if such doesn’t violate the constitution of my party so he can emerge as the PDP candidate.
“He has a history. Let Nigerians compare the history he has and our
history as an APC government.
“His admission of defeat made him popular. But he had to because everything had shown that he lost. What else could he say? It was clear that he lost the election.
“Why do we praise people for doing the right thing? Would he have done the wrong thing? APC had about sixteen million votes and he was around eleven million. Everyday on earth, big men get defeated.
“In the US, Trump was defeated. It is only here that we celebrate people for doing the right thing. Jonathan was rejected by Nigerians. He did what he ought to do because he believed in the system.”
On the recent defection to the APC by Gov Peter Mba and his cabinet members, Nwoye said it was a new dawn in the state and South East in general.
Quoting him, “It is a well thought-out movement. Going forward, Enugu State will not play politics of emotion. Before now, we engaged in politics of interest.
“We cannot stand on the sidelines when things concerning Nigeria are being discussed. We cannot be on the sidelines when the South East is being discussed.
“Historically, Enugu as a city was the capital of the South before the amalgamation in 1914. Enugu is going back to its glory.”
He said with the defection, Gov Mba would be a part of the progressives’ governors’ meetings. “He will join Governors Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State and Hope Uzodimma of Imo State to get what belongs to the South East.
“Politics played on emotion does not benefit all. When it was the turn of the Igbo to produce the presidential candidate of the PDP, they were rejected. Now that Enugu has joined the centre, you will see what will happen.
“This is a progressives’ party. We are based on the rule of law. We have equal rights as a party member. Everybody has a right to join today.”
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