Buhari Supports Goodluck Jonathan As 2023 President

Buhari Supports Goodluck Jonathan As 2023 President

Consistent with the zoning policy that has rationed political power at the national level since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, the next president is likely and expected to come from the south. The Igbo and Yoruba political class are already working behind the scene and independent of each other to make sure that one of their own occupies the office of the presidency in 2023. Ordinarily, the Igbo should produce the next president being that they have never produced an executive president since Nigeria gained Independence in 1960 but the current Nigerian political climate still seems unresponsive. So the southern elites intend to replicate a strategy that worked in the past and produce a politician from a southern minority group. Observers and analysts alike have noticed that the two biggest parties in Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party are actively luring former President, Goodluck Jonathan for another stint at power in 2023.






Rumors of President Buhari backing his political opponent for the 2023 elections was further heightened when Jonathan seemingly worked against party interests to ensure the defeat of Seriake Dickson at the 2019 gubernatorial polls in Bayelsa. Reports emanated from political circles that the Former and current President entered a sort of political arrangement where the Bayelsa strongman would ensure APC’s victory in Bayelsa while the President back his run for another stint at presidential power in 2023.






The Presidency has come out to refute these claims and has described as “false and irresponsible’’ reports that former president, Goodluck Jonathan was blackmailed or lobbied by the presidency to support the governing party, All Progressives Congress, in Bayelsa State governorship election.

In a statement to the press, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, expressed shock that such a story could be considered believable to the point of being given space in some newspapers.

He said, “It just doesn’t make any sense. Our media really must learn to verify whatever they publish

Jonathan’s camp has also brushed aside reports that suggest that the former president was currently mulling a return to Aso Rock. Jonathan’s spokesman, Dr Ikechukwu Eze, replying to these claims said it was not true that the ex-President made comments about 2023 elections.

He said such reports had surfaced on some online platforms in the past, adding that such insinuations never emanated from Jonathan

He added that the ex-President had been busy with his foundation, the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, and its work of promoting peace, sustainable democracy and youth empowerment in Africa.

According to him, Jonathan has not made any comment on the 2023 elections.

‘‘The former President has not made any comment nor spoken to anyone on the coming elections”.

2023 is still distant, political dynamics and affiliations are bound to change in the course of politicking, but presently it seems that the alliance between Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan for the 2023 elections is nothing but wishful thinking.