Politics
2023: Jonathan’s Emergence As APC Consensus Candidate Unlikely – Okorocha
A former Governor of Imo State and presidential hopeful, Senator Rochas Okorocha, says the emergence of former President Goodluck Jonathan as the consensus candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is unlikely.
Okorocha said this in an interview on a political programme on Channels Television on Tuesday while reacting to the possibility of Jonathan joining the APC and declaring for the presidency.
He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling party will not choose the former president as its consensus candidate because it will amount to imposition.
Okorocha added that if Jonathan decides to defect to the APC and join the presidential race, he will contest the primary like other aspirants and not be favoured.
The former Imo governor, however, stated that none of the presidential hopefuls is afraid of contesting alongside the former president.
He said: “He (Jonathan) will contest like any other person (at the primary). Nobody is afraid or scared. There will be nothing like a consensus candidate.
“That is not likely to happen because the President Buhari that I know will consider certain factors to do that.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has promised to gladly support Jonathan if he is the anointed candidate of the ruling party.
He made this known during an interaction with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Ayade said he would not hesitate to align with any candidate of Buhari’s choice, to consolidate on the modest achievements of the APC.