2023: Jonathan shouldn’t be pushed to diminish his stature – Lukman

…Warning that FFK’s loyalty must be thoroughly considered by APC

Tom Okpe, Abuja

Director General of the Progressives Governor’s Forum, (PGF) Salihu Moh’ Lukman has stated that no political party in the country should push former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to diminish his stature, either as an aspirant or a candidate to any office.

He said decision of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) President in the 2015 presidential election to concede defeat even before the votes were counted ranked him as one of those who fought and defended Nigeria’s democracy.

Lukman also stated that It is important that the latest defector to the ruling party, Femi Fani Kayode’s loyalty and allegiance to the party is critically viewed to ensure that he is accountable to “our leaders, party organs and by extension, Nigerians.”

He said: “The reference point should be the historic decision of former President Jonathan to concede defeat in 2015 even before the final votes were counted.

“With that, former President Jonathan ranked himself as one of those who fought and defended Nigeria’s democracy.

“On no account therefore, any political party should be allowed to push former President Jonathan to diminish his stature, either as an aspirant or a candidate for any office. Doing so will mean that we want him to gamble away all his legendary achievements.

“It is sad enough that PDP leaders, being who they are, don’t recognise and respect former President Jonathan’s deservedly political stature.”

In a statement on Sunday, (yesterday) the All Progressives Congress, (APC) chieftain noted that every speculation about the possibility of former President Jonathan joining the APC has to do with the reality of being unappreciated by PDP leadership.

“Negotiating to bring him into APC should not be based on aspiring for any office. It must be recognised that former President Jonathan, and indeed every former President, is beyond holding any office in the land.

“Bringing former Presidents to that level will amount to diminishing their political stature. Already, President Buhari is doing excellently well by delegating some high-profile diplomatic responsibilities to former President Jonathan.

“One of the failures of PDP is the inability to create responsibilities that can match the statures of former Presidents.

“Inability to create responsibilities for former Presidents is perhaps what accounts for the overbearing restlessness of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“With President Buhari scheduled to end his tenure in 2023, less than two years away, negotiation to recruit former President Jonathan into APC must be used to settle the question of the roles of former Presidents within the party.”

He warned that APC, must not allow the situation to emerge whereby party leaders and members only respect elected and appointed functionaries as that led to part of the lessons from the challenges created under the last National Working Committee, (NWC) led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole with the absence of Board of Trustees, (BoT).

However, the former Labour leader adviced that highly placed Nigerians and leaders could be brought to the ruling party as BoT members.

Reiterating further on FFK he said: ” A reformed Mr. Fani-Kayode should be an accountable personality, both to the party and to Nigerians.

On no account should he, (Kayode) ever imagine that he has come to APC to conduct himself uncontrollably, since he begged and was forgiven by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

According to Lukman, “APC leaders need to remain confident, committed and go into negotiation on all the issues around 2023.

“The same attitude that guided all the success of the party since 2013 can guide our party to victory in 2023,” he added.