MASSOB faults northern governments’ plot to field Jonathan in 2023

APC denies considering ex-President as candidate

Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has condemned a “subtle political move” by some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the North to lure former President Goodluck Jonathan to the 2023 presidential race.

The move, according to MASSOB, is a systematic way of establishing another political discord among the people of the old Eastern Region.

In a statement, yesterday, by its leader, Uchenna Madu, MASSOB urged Jonathan and his Ijaw kinsmen to be wise enough to discern the subtle and hypocritical moves of Arewa governors.

MASSOB stated: “The Sultan of Sokoto, the Aso Villa cabal, the frontline emirs, the Arewa opinion leaders and Islamic gurus, both in Nigerians and overseas, are perfectly aware and systematically pushing for a Goodluck Jonathan one tenure administration. Their ultimate political aim is to frustrate the golden chance of the Igbo man or South East zone to emerge as President of Nigeria.

“The people of South East and the indigenous Igbo in South South region have always supported the Ijaw mostly on the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan during his political travails in the hands of Arewa leaders.”

It also asked former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to bury their presidential ambitions in 2023, insisting that the South East zone will produce the next president of Nigeria was a settled issue, considering the gentleman’s agreement on rotation.

The statement added: “It is not about sentiment or selfishness to support the South East zone; it is the turn of South East zone to produce the next president of Nigeria, according to the zoning arrangement.”
BUT the APC has declared that such arrangement was not among its plans.

The Interim Committee Chairman of APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, told BBC Hausa Service that those peddling such information were afraid.

“Even if someone wants to base assumption on our recent visit to him (Jonathan) during his birthday, we were there because of his position as a former President of Nigeria.

“Again, when we are talking of peaceful coexistence, we must give credit to former President Jonathan on the issue of peace. How he accepted defeat in 2015 and resigned to fate. That has qualified him as a statesman and he is now among our fathers,” he said.