Protesters under the aegis of the Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have warned the party’s leadership against imposing former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate in the next election.
The protesters who stormed the party’s national secretariat, Abuja over the development, said the move to drag Jonathan into the race could cost the party the presidential seat in 2023.
The convener of the group, Alhaji Toyin Rahim, said the move was ill-advised and unnecessary.
He said: “The rumour has been around for some time now that former President Jonathan of the was being wooed by some power players within the APC to join the Party and fly its presidential ticket for the 2023 election.
“What began as a mere rumour seems to be gathering momentum so close to the presidential primary of our great party. This Jonathan project cannot fly simply because it cannot help our party and we want to do our best to ensure that our Party does not fall victim of ill-advised action that can push the party out of power.
“One of the most telling negative implications of such an action is that the APC does not have anyone of electoral value who can win election for us except we smuggle in a former president we defeated seven years ago for his glaring incompetence as president.
“In APC today there are presidential aspirants with credible pedigrees and humongous electoral value and capacity. It is not only unnecessary to smuggle Jonathan into our great party, it is also self-indicting and meaning that our Party’s performance in office has been worse than an administration that Nigerians thoroughly rejected and voted APC in 2015.”
