Hundreds of youths over the weekend held a parade across key streets in Kano’s old city where they gave former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, a seven-day Ultimatum to proclaim his intention to run for the presidency in 2023.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that this came was coming even as an organisation threatened to conduct a 2 million-man protest outside his Abuja office if he does not proclaim his desire to run for president within the seven-day deadline.
The Chairman of the group, Comrade Mubashhir Tafida, told a press conference on Sunday at the NUJ Secretariat in Kano that Dr. Jonathan will respond to their appeal by declaring for the Presidency in the coming days.
‘There is no legislation prohibiting him from running for president. Thus Jonathan must ignore those who may be seen as opponents of progress who will prevent this dream from becoming a reality.
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He went on to add that; ‘We, the thronging masses, believed in him, that he stood a greater opportunity to address the multiplicity of challenges confronting this country,’ he said.
Among the country’s concerns, such as insecurity, the economy, and other social maladies, people may be assured that once the former president takes office, they will be a forgone issue.
When asked on which political platform they wanted him to run for president, Comrade Tafida stated that he is free to run on any political platform.
He went on to posit that Dr. Jonathan was a doyen of the oppressed masses and that the people of the country held him in great regard because they believed that the horrible existence they were suffering at the time would not resurface during his reign.
Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mike Ozekhome has dismissed claims that the former President Goodluck Jonathan cannot contest the 2023 election despite having completed Umaru Yar’Adua’s tenure and being elected in 2011.
Ozekhome made this argument in a long essay, a reply of sorts to his colleague, Femi Falana, who had argued that Jonathan was not qualified.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that in a statement, Falana said Jonathan cannot contest the election by virtue of Section 137 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Africa Today News, New York