Goodluck Jonathan Admits Contesting For President Again Will Diminish Him

Jonathan says the only roles acceptable to him now involve stabilising democracy in troubled African states.

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan says he has no plan to contest for president again, saying he would diminish himself if he campaigns for election again.

Jonathan said this in an interview published in a book, ‘My Time As Chaplain In Aso Rock.”

The book written by Nathaniel Bivan was presented to the public on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

“If you wake up tomorrow and see that I am President again, that means there may have been circumstances beyond my control. But not to go and pick one form and go and start lobbying people and running for campaigns; I can’t do that again. If I do that, I will diminish myself,” Jonathan said.

The former president said he enjoyed the drama that accompanied the rumour that he purchased the nomination form of the All Progressives Congress earlier in the year.

Recall that ahead of the APC 2022 presidential primary, a group, Nomadic Pastoralists and Almajirai Community, led by Ibrahim Abdullahi, purchased the N100m nomination and expression of interest forms in Jonathan’s name.

Speaking on the controversy that followed the group’s decision, Jonathan said he enjoyed the drama because it didn’t come with insults.

He said, “I was enjoying the drama. At least they are not insulting me. After all, I was pursued out of the office that I was not good enough. So, if now, Nigerians are saying, ‘Oh, this man should come,’ that means they are cleaning me up. So, let me enjoy the drama.

“I was not disturbed. I know I cannot go and start struggling to be President again. It wasn’t only Nigerians who were asking me such questions, even most of the top ambassadors -the American ambassador, the UK High Commissioner, France, and all of them. They came to ask me whether I would contest. I don’t think I would contest any election.

“If you wake up tomorrow and see that I’m President again, that means there may have been circumstances beyond my control. But not to go and pick one form and go and start lobbying people and running for campaigns, be it PDP power or APC broom and moving across Nigeria. I can’t do that again; if I do that, I will diminish myself.”

The ex-president maintained that the only roles acceptable to him now involve stabilizing democracy in troubled African states.