A source close to former President Goodluck Jonathan have denied that he endorsed the Atiku/Okowa presidential ticket, accusing some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of stage-managing the meeting between them (Jonathan and Okowa) to achieve a pre-determined phantom endorsement.
Recall that Jonathan, while hosting the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, had reportedly declared Okowa as the incoming Vice President of Nigeria.
This was alleged to be a major word of support and by extension, a backing for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar since it’s a joint ticket.
At the meeting last Wednesday, Jonathan held Okowa’s hand and was quoted to have said; “Our incoming vice-president — he has served two tenures as a governor.”
However, a source at the meeting facilitated by the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, rejected the purported endorsement, saying the former president has a soft spot for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi who he has severally supported morally and otherwise ahead of 2023 general election.
A close ally of the former president told Daily Sun that Jonathan is not happy that the PDP turned the private visit into an endorsement for its presidential candidate.
Incoming Vice-president
He said journalists were not allowed to witness the private visit and conversation unknown to the host (Jonathan) that some of the PDP members at the meeting secretly videoed the proceeding and posted it online to appear as if the former president had endorsed Atiku.
The source said the visitors led by the Bauchi governor brought some kola nuts for Jonathan to pray for the “incoming vice president” (Okowa) and that the former president merely used their own words to pray for him.
Our source told Daily Sun: “You know that President Jonathan has a soft spot for the Bauchi governor who led the delegation. Atiku who had made several efforts to get Jonathan’s support was not even part of the delegation.
“Jonathan was surprised when his attention was drawn to the news on the social media that he had endorsed Atiku. That did not happen but as a statesman, he just let it go instead of putting up a statement denying it.
“ It was to forestall the PDP making a political capital of the visit that Jonathan’s aides prevented the media from being in the meeting but who knew that some hawks in the party had planned to use it to gain some mileage.”
Jonathan Backs Peter Obi
The source added that the former president is backing the presidential ambition of Labour Party’s Peter Obi, adding that the LP candidate had visited Jonathan at least three times since the conclusion of the party primaries unlike candidates of other parties.
“You know that Obi is very close to Jonathan for obvious reasons. When Oga was in power, Obi was one of those close to him and they have continued to enjoy the relationship till now. I am sure that is why many people are surprised when they started to read that he has endorsed Atiku/Okowa ticket. Jonathan is a statesman and he treats all the presidential candidates with respect but people should not misunderstand that as an endorsement,” he said.
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