2023: Goodluck Jonathan under serious pressure to run for president

A political group under the aegis of North Central Political Frontiers, NCPF, has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider recontesting in the 2023 presidential election.

The group said since Jonathan left power about five years ago; things have gone from bad to worst in Nigeria.

Jonathan lost his second term bid to the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015.

Jonathan contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

However, the group said the greatest mistake Nigerians made was to settle for Buhari, a former military dictator as a democratically elected president.

Addressing newsmen on Wednesday as part of activities to commemorate the nation’s independence anniversary, the National President of NCPF, Agbo Alfred, called on Jonathan to join the presidential race.

His words, “We can now see that there is a clear difference between a democrat and a dictator. In 2015, most of us were insulted and called names because we warned them against voting this government into power.

“A man you know in the day time, you don’t need a lantern at night to recognise him. We knew his antecedents. When he was Head of State in the 80s, we knew how the nation nearly collapsed before General Ibrahim Babangida and co toppled him. He has never been in charge.

“We can now see clearly that Buhari is just a soldier putting on Agbada, nothing has really changed about him except his age.

“Hunger in the land has tripled. When this government came into power in 2015, rice was about N6,000 per bag, but we are now buying a bag of rice at N23,000.

“Petrol was about N97 per litre, today, we are buying a litre of petrol at N160.

“They promised that one naira would be the same value with dollar, today, a dollar is about N500.

“This government has dragged us backward like 600 years.

“Security in the country has worsened. People die like chickens without the government doing anything. “All we get is condolence message and the assurance that they are on top of the situation.

“All what they promised, nothing has been done. Nepotism is on the high side. Buhari has turned Nigeria to northgeria.”

He, therefore, called on ex-President Jonathan to step in and rescue the nation from sinking.

“It is on this premise that we are calling on Africa’s hero of democracy, President Gooodluck Jonathan, to come to our rescue. This nation must not collapse. Nigeria must not sink, it must not implode.

“The mistake we made in 2015 must not be repeated in 2023. These tyrants must be booted out of power.

“We at North Central Political Frontiers, NCPF, are ready to mobilize a one million-man march to mount pressure on Goodluck Jonathan to contest in 2023.

“We will be working with other bodies to lead this campaign.”

On why they are making this call when 2023 is still three years away, Agbo explained that, “early to bed, early to rest, so goes a popular saying. We need to start this on time so Dr. Jonathan could have enough time to think over it. He has between now and December 2021 to decide.

“He loves Nigeria so much and cannot afford to let is collapse.

“We, therefore, call on other aspirants to bury their ambitions and join this noble call. Nigeria must be freed from traitors and looters.”