Why ex-President Jonathan shouldn’t be lured into 2023 presidential race

Former Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps and chieftain of the PDP, Osita Chidoka has warned that former President Goodluck Jonathan should not be lured into the 2023 presidential race by some people for ulterior motives.

Speaking on Arise Television, the former Aviation Minister said if Jonathan wants to run for president, he will do so, stressing that the former president should be allowed to his own political future.

“As for President Goodluck Jonathan, I have not discussed ‘GEJ is coming’ with him. In the last conversation I had with him, he wasn’t indicating interest in running for any public office,” he said.

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“He is in a good place because he represents something that every part of the country can relate to. He has learnt his lessons from his time in office. He is in that position that he is the leading light of the PDP as he came into power from deputy governor to president in the PDP. I believe his political future would be determined by making public choices.

“I don’t think former President Jonathan would be in that position where he is being called to come and be president. If he wants to be president, he would come out boldly and say, ‘I want to be president of Nigeria again because I have the experience and have the capacity to bring back peace in Nigeria and to restore capacity in Nigeria.’ He can make that case for himself.

“There is no need to lure him to the race. President Jonathan I know, if he has made up his mind to run, would indicate so, and I am sure he will if he makes up his mind to run.”

Chidoka added that among the Igbo, there is “a lot of soul searching about who we are and our role in Nigeria”.