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From Fred Itua, Abuja
The push for former President Goodluck Johnathan to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, at the weekend, gained momentum, as his supporters urged him to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declare his intention for the position.
The supporters, under the aegis of Citizens Network for Peace and Development (CNPD), said they were ready to mobilise at least eight million citizens to return Jonathan to Aso Rock in 2023.
They are, however, urging the former president, who lost the position to President Buhari in 2015 to to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and team up with the APC to make the quest possible.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, national coordinator of the group, Okorie Raphael, said a Jonathan presidency, would rescue Nigeria at this crucial moment.
“We call on former President Jonathan to once again avail himself to be of service to the country he loves so much! He should bear in mind the popular Latin saying: Vox populi, Vox Dei ( meaning, the voice of the people is the voice of God) as this is a rescue mission you cannot refuse to lead sir.”
Okorie said with the level of mutual ethnic mistrust in the country, what Nigeria needed at this time was a tested and trusted man like Jonathan to steer the ship.
“Looking closer home, Goodluck Jonathan’s track records as an achiever, nationalist and visionary leader are clearly evident around us. A good number of mega-projects initiated by his administration litter the horizon and though quite a number stand today in credit to the present administration in the spirit of continuity, the fact remains that he has left indelible footprints in the sands of time. We do not need leader who is coming onboard with hangers-on who at best will constitute themselves into nuisance and unwanted distractions. We do not need a leader whose history is chequered by more questions than answers and we certainly do not need a leader whose ambition is just to be president and nothing more.
Citizens Network for Peace and Development hereby lends its voice to the increasing calls by various groups on the need for former President Jonathan to run for office. We encourage Nigerians to come together in their numbers to support any initiative that will lead to the return of our much-respected former president to the Office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
