Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is said to have rejected an attempt to reconcile the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and the G-5 governors.
According to reports, the PDP leadership is seeking Jonathan’s assistance in resolving the party’s crisis ahead of the 2023 general election.
The plan appears to have failed after the former president reportedly refused to participate in the crisis.
Remember that Atiku, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and some party leaders met with Jonathan at his Abuja residence a few weeks ago?
WITHIN NIGERIA, it was learned that they had requested Jonathan’s support in the 2023 presidential election.
Wike revealed a few days after Atiku’s visit to the former president that the former vice president refused to support Jonathan in 2015.
Wike also revealed that Atiku insisted that Jonathan give up his presidential bid in 2015.
Following Wike’s accusations against Atiku, the former Vice President’s camp denied or confirmed the statement.
According to a close ally of Jonathan who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Saturday Sun, the former president has yet to forgive Atiku for conspiring with some governors to humiliate him in 2015.
According to the source, while Wike would listen to Jonathan, the former president believes Atiku only comes to him every four years when he is running for president.
According to the source, Atiku also snubbed and turned down the people Jonathan recommended for Atiku’s campaign organization in the 2019 presidential election.
According to the source, the former vice president only visited Jonathan before the 2019 primaries and ignored him after securing the party’s presidential nomination.
The source said;
Atiku doesn’t have any regard for Jonathan. He’s one of those who believe strongly that Jonathan didn’t deserve to be president. Even as president, Atiku didn’t respect Jonathan. That has not changed.
He’s only showing some courtesy now that his election bid is threatened. In 2019, Jonathan supported Atiku against the wish of his supporters who were opposed to such support, including Wike.
As soon as Atiku secured the ticket, he suddenly started ignoring Jonathan and even refused to accommodate the people, the former president nominated to serve as members of the campaign organisation.
Since Atiku lost in 2019, he has not deemed it fit to reach out to Jonathan. The former president doesn’t want to be used again. So, he has politely refused to help Atiku. Even Olusegun Obasanjo is unwilling to step in too.