2023: Jonathan meets supporters, may contest against Tinubu

If feelers from certain quarters in the South-South is anything to go by, former President Goodluck Jonathan may be on a collision course with former governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu over the 2023 presidential election.

According to a reliable source, Dr. Jonathan recently met with some South-South leaders, and the major issue on the table was for him to contest the 2023 presidential election, and therefore complete the 8 years tenure for the region.

Tinubu who is the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, is one of the leading contenders for the presidential ticket of the party, and has even reached out to critical stakeholders in the north. He is however yet to make his intention official.

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But with Dr. Jonathan’s meeting at Aridolf Hotels and Spars in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State last week, sources said he may be drafted into the race.

A source, whose political associate attended the gathering, said it was shortly after Dr. Jonathan visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja last Thursday.

It would be recalled that some Northern All Progressives Congress (APC) governors did plan for the return of Dr. Jonathan to assuage the South and enable the North to return to power after four years.

Jonathan’s political associate, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, formed the South-South Presidency 2023 and had held consultative meetings with stakeholders.

Our source said the governors of two Northwest states are championing the plans. He added that the scheme was part of the reasons a minister from the South-south spoke recently against the then administration of Jonathan.

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He said: “The coordinators of the group plotting for Jonathan to return to Aso Rock in 2023 met recently with Jonathan at his wife’s Aridolf Hotels and Spars.

“The chairman of the group, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, and other South-south coordinators were present at the meeting. Jonathan indicated an interest in their campaign and asked them to return to their different states to continue with their campaign.

“This plot has been kept active by two governors from the Northwest, who are plotting for a strong APC Northern governor to become Jonathan’s running mate.