After so many speculations, Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan has finally joined the race for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket.
A group of supporters of Fulani extraction and Almajiris led by Ibrahim Abdullahi picked the N100,000,000 expression of interest and nomination forms for the former President around 6:30 pm on Monday May 9, 2022.
The former president was earlier around April called by some protesters who stormed his Abuja private office to urge him to declare for 2023 presidential race.
A spokesman for the protesters named Mayor Samuel stated that they “were deceived and brainwashed by those who claimed they could do it in 2015.”
According to him, Jonathan served well and the minimum wage during his reign as president could buy one or two bags of rice.
Receiving the protesters then, Jonathan asked Nigerian youths to show greater interest in the nation’s political process.
He stated that he can’t tell them if he would be declaring or not for the 2023 presidential race yet.
As of today, the former president has become the 27th person to purchase the APC’s N100,000,000 form to contest for the position of president in 2023.
He joins others like Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, APC stalwart, Bola Tinubu, Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba; Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare; Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State; his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, and Senator Rochas Okorocha.
Also,Governor Yahaya Bello; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi; Ms Unu Onaneye (the only female).
Former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina; former speaker of House or Reps, Dimeji Bankole; former Senate president, Ken Nnamani; former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole have also purchased the presidential forms of the ruling party.
Meanwhile, human right lawyer Femi Falana SAN has argued that Jonathan is constitutionally barred from becoming Nigeria’s president ever again.
According to him, Jonathan cannot contest the 2023 presidential election by virtue of Section 137 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
He said in a statement; “However, the former President is disqualified from contesting the said election by 137 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended which provides as follows: ‘A person who was sworn in to complete the term for which another person was elected as President shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term.”
Falana explaining further said; “Some people have said that the amendment is not retrospective and therefore cannot apply to Dr. Jonathan.
Assuming without conceding that the amendment is not retrospective, it is submitted that under the current Constitution a President or Governor cannot spend more than 2 terms of 8 years.
In other words, the Constitution will not allow anyone to be in office for more than a cumulative period of 8 years.
“It is not in dispute that Dr. Jonathan became the President of Nigeria in 2010 following the sudden death of President Umaru Yaradua.
He later contested and won the 2011 presidential election.
Having spent 5 years in office as President, Dr. Jonathan is disqualified from contesting the 2023 presidential election.
“The reason is that if he wins the election, he will spend an additional term of 4 years.
It means that he would spend a cumulative period of 9 years as President of Nigeria in utter breach of Section 137 of the Constitution which provides for a maximum two terms of 8 years,” he said.
