Former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports that he was planning
to run for 2019 Presidential election. There were reports that Jonathan
declared his intention to take another shot at the presidency in Bayelsa
State on Wednesday.
Nigerians have groaned under the yoke of stifling economic hardship facing
the nation leading to calls for the citizens to “change” the “change”
mantra of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government. The
situation is so bad that states governments, for the first time in the
history of Nigeria, are unable to pay salaries while the Niger Delta
militants have embarked on a bombing campaign of oil and gas installations
to protest the environmental degradation and marginalisation of the area.
But the Buhari administration has continually blamed the Jonathan
presidency for the massive looting that emptied the treasury.
It was gathered that the former President is under pressure “to recontest
and salvage the economy from the ruling All Proressives Congress (APC)”.
But Jonathan’s media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, denied that the former leader
was planning a run for the exalted office in 2019. He said Jonathan never
declared any intention to run at any time.
Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election to President Mohammadu Buhari.