By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
It all began like a rumour that President Goodluck Jonathan may be contesting the 2023 presidential election. Then newspapers started authenticating it as fact.
On August 7 this year, The Nigerian Xpress Newspaper ran with the lead story – ‘2023 Presidency: Jonathan in the mix’
The crux of the story was that some northern elements wanted Jonathan back as president in 2023 to complete his second term, and within four years, the north would reclaim power. The newspaper cited its source to be very reliable.
On September 26, the Vanguard Newspaper published a story similar in perspective with The Nigerian Xpress report. The headline was – ‘2023: North looks towards Jonathan’.
The latest report about Jonathan’s 2023 gamble was from THISDAY Newspaper of October 4, with the headline: ‘Buhari’s Supporters Considering Jonathan for 2023 Presidential Run’. Leader of the Ijaw Monitoring Group, Joseph Eva, had also in an interview with The Sun Newspapers, alluded to the possibility of such agenda.
But the president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, said it was strange that such a report is flying in the papers.
“You know some people will just spring up from nowhere in the afternoon from their hangover and will just make pronouncements. Unfortunately, some media will still carry them and make story out of it. Otherwise, there is really no story here,” he told TheNiche in a telephone interview.
He said at no time has any group or any recognised body in the northern part of the country sat down and discussed anything in that direction.
“As it is, wide consultation is going on. And some of us have taken the position to say we don’t care where the next president comes from. What matters for us is competence and capacity of any individual who will get our support,” he said.
Shettima also spurned at the idea of a Jonathan’s presidency on the ground that Nigeria cannot go far by recycling old politicians.
“We cannot continue to recycle men of yesteryears and expect different result. You can be rest assured that our generation will not go for this same people that over and over have been at the corridors of power doing all they want and putting us where we are. It means that we are fools. Certainly something new will come,” he said.