There have been reports (not in SaharaReporters) that a Coalition of Northern groups on Monday procured the forms for the former President.
The Coalition of Northern Groups, a pressure group of over 40 pro-North groups, has denied purchasing the All Progressives Congress’ presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for former President Goodluck Jonathan.
There have been reports that a Coalition of Northern groups on Monday procured the forms for the former President.
Although Jonathan wasn’t a member of the APC, speculations had intensified in recent weeks that he was set to switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to contest for President in 2023.
Jonathan was Nigeria’s president between 2011 and 2015 on the platform of the PDP. He was Acting President before then following the death of President Umaru Yar'Adua.
He lost power to the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, who ran on the ticket of the APC in 2015.
Reacting, spokesperson for the CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman said the group has never been involved in partisanship let alone pick a particular candidate and purchase forms for him.
Suleiman urged new coalitions to devise a means of identification to differentiate them from the CNG.
The statement read, “The attention of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has been drawn to a piece of deliberately confusing report that has been trending since early evening of Monday, May 9th.
We are particularly worried that the report which purportedly suggests that CNG has purchased the presidential nomination forms for former President Goodluck Jonathan was broadcast by such reputable outlets as the Channels Television.
“We are therefore compelled to make the following clarifications for the benefit of the media and the general public. We have since advanced from being addressed as an obscure Coalition and assumed the status of a proper name having made a mark as the strongest voice in Northern Nigeria.
“For a very long time, CNG has come to be properly addressed as 'The Coalition of Northern Groups' and no longer 'A Coalition of Northern Groups' as featured in the trending report. We are aware of the recent proliferation of coalitions across the North and in Nigeria as a whole (mostly out of mischief), but we make bold to say categorically that the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has never since its inception been involved in partisanship not to mention picking a particular candidate and purchasing forms for him.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the CNG is still committed to the search for a competent, credible Nigerian leader with the capacity to justly and fairly take all of us through and out of our current limitations. We advise the newborn coalitions to device a means of identification quite apart from the CNG and appreciate the concerns of our followers and supporters who have been calling us for clarification.”