Why APC or PDP should not present Jonathan for presidency – Atedo Peterside

The founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party against nominating former President Goodluck Jonathan as their presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.

Peterside, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said fielding Jonathan as a candidate will be against unfavourable data of public acceptance of the former president.

Jonathan was elected the governor of Bayelsa State, served as vice president to late President Musa Yar’ Adua and became president as a member of the PDP.

Jonathan is rumoured to be eyeing a return to the office he left in 2015. But this time as a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, the party that handed him a loss at the polls in 2015.

He has not denied or confirmed the claims of his interest in contesting in the 2023 elections.

The former president while receiving a group of young people calling for his return to power told them to “watch out” and that”the political process is ongoing.”

Peterside said that he voted for Jonathan in 2011 because the data at the time favoured him to win the election.

He, however, said Jonathan’s approval ratings have since gone down and the job description for a Nigerian President has evolved from what it was in 2015 when the former president lost to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I said in 2011, Goodluck Jonathan had a 54% approval rating and by 2015 before election, it had collapsed to below 26%,” Peterside said. “The recent poll I saw, not done by us because we don’t waste time on things that are not all that relevant, his approval rating was below 5%,” Peterside said in an interview on Channels TV.

“So everybody is free to ignore data and come out and do anything they want to do. In fact, I hope that the APCs of this world would make a mistake and bring out people whose approval ratings are very low. You cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

Peterside attributed the difference between when he last voted for Jonathan and the current reality in the country to a change of era.

“He was the best candidate, I voted for him in 2011, that was a different era, that was a totally different era,” Peterside said.

“The skill set, the gravity of the problem, the coverage required, it is a totally different job. Time does not stand still.”

While the PDP and APC are yet to hold their primary elections, Peterside said two dominant political parties will be ignoring data at their own peril.

“But please, let parties ignore data and bring out anybody they like. Everybody should run the party the way they want to run their party. I have no say in APC, I have no say in PDP, I mean, I joined SDP just this week, I have a bit of a say but I’m not even a party officer.

“I’m in a chapter; the chairman of my state chapter is a lady who is below 35. You know, these are young people that have come in en masse because they don’t want APC, they don’t want PDP and I’m following them.”