Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disowned the coalition of Northern groups that purchased the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for him.
Jonathan also urged the general public to disregard the purchase of the APC forms for him on the grounds that he did not authorize the exercise.
Speaking through his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, in a statement made available to Theideal on Monday, Jonathan insisted that if he wanted to contest, he would make his intention known to the public and not through proxies.
The statement reads in part, “ We wish to categorically state that Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorize it.
We want to state that if the former President wanted to contest an election, he would make his intentions clear to the public and will not enter through the back door.
“While we appreciate the overwhelming request by a cross-section of Nigerians, for Jonathan to make himself available for the 2023 Presidential election, we wish to state, that he has not in anyway, committed himself to this request.
“Buying a presidential aspiration form in the name Jonathan without his consent, knowing the position he had held in this country, is considered an insult to his person. The general public is therefore advised to disregard it.”
The Northern groups of Fulani extraction comprising Normadic Pastoralists and the Almajiri Communities obtained the APC nomination forms for Jonathan.
The groups had approached the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Monday to obtain the forms for Jonathan.
