2023 presidency: Omokri reveals why Jonathan can’t run with El-Rufai

A social critic, Reno Omokri has described as a lie the report that former President Goodluck Jonathan may contest the 2023 presidential election with Nasir El-Rufai, the Kaduna state governor as his running mate.

Omokri, a former aide to Dr. Jonathan on Wednesday said Rufai would be the last person on earth Jonathan would ever think of running for the presidency.

In his words: “That story featured in Sahara Reporters. Sahara Reporters is owned by Omoyele Sowore who has a close working relationship with El-rufai. Their relationship is very close, there are things we knew about when we were in government, and they are trying to put that story out there to put pressure to promote the presidential candidate of El-Rufai.

“I spoke to former President Jonathan just before this interview. That story is a lie, quote me. Nasir El-Rufai will be the last person if former President Jonathan is thinking of running, of which he is not even thinking of running. If he is to run, not a character like El-Rufai, not a religious bigot, ethnic bigot, a man who said Jonathan has spent N63 billion on an independent day celebration on which this government, APC government released a statement that he is a liar.

“A man former president Olusegun Obasanjo in his own book called a liar. Is that the kind of person that any right thinking individual will want to run with?”

Omokri also said rumour that Jonathan is planning to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, to realize his 2023 ambition was a lie.

“Former president Jonathan has been in one party throughout his life and right now he is 63. In all his life, he has been in one party, he does not have that kind of history and reputation.

“I am 47 years old and in all my life, I have only been associated with one party, to the best of my knowledge, Jonathan is not leaving the party, he is a very loyal person just like me,” he said.