By Myke Uzendu
Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday decided to speak tongue-in-cheek on his rumoured 2023 presidential ambition as he refused to give a definite position on the ambition.
He spoke briefly with reporters on Friday after attending an event organised by the Commonwealth Community Choir in Abuja.
When asked if he would be joining the presidential race during the 2023 general elections, Dr Jonathan said, “It is too early to talk about that.”
He also spoke on insecurity in the country, and called for support for the Federal Government and the security agencies to overcome the challenges.
The former president stated that Nigeria was not the only country affected by insecurity, adding that he had his challenges to deal with while in office.
He also spoke about the political crisis in Mali, saying the situation has been brought under control following the intervention of ECOWAS.
Recall that Dr Jonathan contested the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but lost and conceded defeat to President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was the first time an incumbent president would lose re-election and conceded defeat in Nigeria.
This earned him accolades within and outside the country, leading to his emergence as ECOWAS special envoy.
During his leadership, he received all kinds of vitriolic attacks, castigations and name calling by the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari who at a time accused Jonathan of genocide against Northern youths for fighting Boko Haram.
The current Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, was among scores of social and conventional media warriors who attacked Jonathan on all corners with all manners of factual and presumed information, which made Jonathan at a time to say he would be listed in history as the most abused Nigerian president, who took all the attacks with equanimity.
Jonathan was accused then by the leading opposition political party of sundry crimes and unbridled corruption.
He was even described as “clueless president” by the leaders of the current administration.
