Powerful Northern Leaders Pushing Jonathan For Presidency As Buhari Remains Undecided Over Predecessor

President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to sign off on moves to draft his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan to become Nigeria’s next president in 2023.

This is coming despite moves by some powerful Northern leaders to make Jonathan the consensus candidate of the  All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sources revealed that the former president is still very much in the race to succeed Buhari as he has reportedly submitted his presidential nomination and expression of interest form to the ruling party.

Although Governor Samuel Ortom had tried to get Jonathan to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reports says the for the former president is still in the race for the APC presidential ticket.

According to Vanguard, the move to include Jonathan in the race, sources said, last night, was partly responsible for the much-postponed screening of APC presidential aspirants.

It was gathered that a cross-section of Northern political stakeholders are favourably disposed to the idea of fielding Jonathan in the 2023 election.

Buhari has neither rejected nor openly endorsed it as of the time of writing this report despite being aware of the moves.

A source close to Jonathan’s camp told Vanguard that the bid by Jonathan to fly the APC flag in the 2023 presidential election is on the course.

He however declined to give details of the process and who the promoters are.

The source said that barring any unforeseen political development, Jonathan might emerge the consensus candidate of the APC.

The source said: “There have been a series of political stakeholders’ engagements and many more are still being held in a bid to finalise the details of the process and we are confident Jonathan will emerge the candidate of the party.

“Although there have been some back and forth developments relating to the project, there is clear hope now since the necessary contacts have been made and are still being made to advance the cause of the former Nigerian leader.

“The former president is likely to get the ticket of the APC largely because the majority of the stakeholders and supporters of other presidential aspirants are on his side, having seen and known that their principals will not be able to make it.”