.Promise him block 14m Votes
. Say it’s Payback for his pro-herders and Almajiri Programmes in Govt

Senate President, Sylva Join Race Too

By Jude Opara, Abuja

The rush for the presidential nomination forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general elections continued on Monday with a northern group, buying the form for former President, Dr.

On the same day, the Senate President, Dr.

Jonathan who has been speculated to join the presidential race had his nomination forms obtained for him by a Fulani group which said they are Almajiris and Fulani elders.

Leader of the group, Ibrahim Abdulahi told newsmen that they decided to buy the forms for the former president because of his outstanding leadership qualities and most importantly, the good gesture he showed to them while in office.

“I represent two of the most vulnerable communities in our country, the Nomadic Pastoralists and the Almajiri communities who have decided to purchase this form for our former president, Dr. Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan, to come back and rule this country and continue with good work he has started. 

“You may recall that during the Goodluck Jonathan era, he is the first president since Independence of Nigeria, who found it expedient and magnanimous enough to remember some of the vulnerable communities in this country, including the Almajiri community.

“He brought a comprehensive policy of reformation and integration of Almajiri into the mainstream educational system in Nigeria.

“It was the dream and the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan, that if that programme has continued would one day, produce from the Almajiri system of education, doctors, engineers, unlike what obtains today. 

“Unfortunately, that programme was kept aside as soon as he left.

“The other part of the vulnerable community that Goodluck Jonathan wanted to really, you know, give a sense of belonging was the Fulani community and Nomadic Pastoralists. 

“Recall that he set aside N60 billion in the coffers of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which was to be used to develop livestock in Nigeria. I believe that if government has continued with that programme, today, we will have been like Denmark, the Sweden, the whole of the entire Africa we could have been what Denmark is in Europe, in terms of livestock production, in terms of milk, in terms of beef, and so on.

“Now looking at this, you know the situation and of course the problems Nigeria is facing today. We believe that only a leader with that kind of, you know that kind of patriotism, a leader with that kind of fairness, a leader who is ready to give every Nigerian a sense of belonging can be able to rule this country. And that leader is Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Abdulahi added that they will not only stop at purchasing his nomination forms, but to also go ahead and campaign for him to win.

We are ready not only to purchase this form for President Goodluck Jonathan, but I want to assure you that our communities, the Nomadic Pastoralists have the voting power of about nine million votes plus the advisory who also can produce about five million, about 14 million, all we are asking other Nigerians is to give us at least two million and we are home and dry”.

When asked if Jonathan has  agreed to run, the Fulani leader said; “As you may have heard, a lot of you know that interest groups have been coming out to urge him to come and contest but we felt that because of the deadline that was given whether he agrees or not, we need to purchase this form. Goodluck, Jonathan is not for himself, he is for all Nigerians.

“As a Nigerian whom we believe has the interest of this country at heart, he will accept us. You can see that we are almost late, you know coming to buy this form was not easy, we sol our cows. We were able to raise this fund just yesterday and we decided to come and purchase this one. 

“We call on Nigerians to support this project, if you are talking about Goodluck Jonathan, I don’t think there is any aspirant so far that we have seen that can be compared in any way with him,  unless if Nigerians are not serious or if we don’t want to reintegrate and unite in this country, unless if you want to continue playing the politics of religion and tribalism. You can see I’m a Fulani man coming from the far North, but I tell you, there is no Nigerian today that I can cast my vote for, there is no Nigerian today that I can campaign for except Goodluck Jonathan. He is the best candidate among all the candidates irrespective of where you come from, irrespective of your faith and irrespective of your region”.

 Abdullahi further urged all the other aspirants to show patriotism and step down for Jonathan to “heal the country” in 2023.

Also, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan who obtained his forms through his friends and associates including senators and members of the House of Representatives led by Sam Nkire said the APC decided to jettison zoning because the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have refused to zone its ticket to the South.

Speaking after collecting the documents, Nkire who is a foundation member of the APC in Abia state said they decided to come and pick the forms because they are convinced that Nigerians are in need of a new president who can deliver the dividends of democracy to them.

“We are here you can see beside and behind me Senators and senior members businessmen and politicians who are members of the APC and some other Nigerians who want a new president.

“And that new president they are seeking is Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, the current president of the Senate of Nigeria.

“We want the Senate President to be the president of Nigeria for national stability one, and a president that we are bringing for the Nigerian people is a Nigerian president, not an Igbo president, not a Fulani president, not a Yoruba president. But a Nigerian president who we have watched and see that there would be no other candidate that will be so level-headed and someone who has the feeling of the poor Nigerians”.

When asked to react to the clamour for the presidency to be zoned to the South, Nkire said; “Let me tell you, every politician is in politics to win. It is PDP that is driving us to do this. We have to say so. But we don’t want PDP to take the government from us. If you give the position to a southerner and PDP gives to a northerner, APC will go into the wilderness and we are not ready to go into the wilderness”.

Meanwhile, Chief Sylva who addressed the media after his forms were presented to him by his supporters said, “I feel very honoured and humbled for the show of love and this show of commitment not to me, but to Nigeria. I have tried my best since I was appointed by Mr. President to this office to do my service to Nigeria. But to realize that my efforts have been noticed by you Nigerians and that you Nigerians by yourself will go and take the trouble of obtaining the nomination and the expression of interest forms for me is very humbling. And I must also say that it is very shocking at the same time. 

“But I’m very happy and pleased by this gesture. So what I will do now, I will not give you a straight answer right now. But I’m really thankful for what you have done because I need to consult I need to consult my constituency and consult leaders of this country and then I’ll come back to you to let you know if I have taken the position also to run for this office. I thank you very much. So you’ll give me a very short time. I will start right away with the consultation. I will go to my leader, for example the Ijaw Leader Sir SK Clark, I will talk to him. I will also consult other leaders of the country and I will get back to you.”

Suleiman Abdullahi, spokesman of Northern Solidarity group for Timipre Sylva who presented the form to the Minister of State for Petroleum said, “We picked this presidential nomination forms to surprise the former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva, to contest for the presidency of this country, which we found him capable to do. We are his fans from the Northern part of Nigeria.

“Nigerians can see from his antecedents from the state level to the federal level that he has garnered necessary experience and well acceptable across the country. So we know that his chances of withe ticket of the APC is brighter.”

So far, some of the aspirants that have picked their forms include: Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, Rotimi Amaechi, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Sen. Chris Ngige and Sen. Rochas Okorocha.

Others include; Gov Mohammed Badaru, Prof. Ben Ayade, Gov. Dave Umahi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Emeka Nwajiuba, Sen. Ken Nnamani, Yahaya Bello, Godwin Emefiele, Ahmed Sani Yerima, Ajayi Borriface, Mrs Uju Ohnenye, Pastor Nicholas Felix Nwagbo, Dimeji Bankole and Aishat Alubankudi, Sen. Ibikunle Amosu, Pst. Tunde Bakare and Com. Adams Oshiomole.