Though the 2023 general elections are some three years away, political jostling for the important vote seems to be on the upswing.
Just as the Presidency tries to extricate itself from a so-called third term agenda for President Muhammadu Buhari, some persons have launched a surreptitious campaign for former President Goodluck Jonathan as joining the presidential race.
But the former president’s camp has hurriedly put the lie to the development saying it belongs to the realm of rumour.
Ikechukwu Eze, the former President’s spokesperson debunked the rumour saying: “There was nothing like that.”
“The former President has not made any comments nor spoken to anyone on the coming elections.
“He is busy concentrating on his foundation, The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), and its work of promoting peace, sustainable democracy and youth empowerment in Africa.”
Eze was not done. He said the rumour was actually a recycled fake news circulated on the internet by some shadowy figures and phantom platforms in the run-down to the 2019 general elections.
“If you check online,” he continued, “you will discover that a story with similar headline had been published in the past by few shady online sources.”
Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was Nigeria’s president from 2009 till 2015. He succeeded former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who died in office on May 2, 2010, after a protracted illness.
President Jonathan ran for re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but lost to the then candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari (retired).
The electoral loss, a landslide, effectively punctured the 16-year unbroken reign of PDP.
