A group, the South-South Presidency in 2023, faulted a report that Jonathan had accepted to contest the 2023 presidency.
The group, however, says it will ensure that any political party that presents a candidate from the zone as vice president will not get the support of the people there.
Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, who is the National Chairman of the group and political associate of Jonathan stated this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Monday.
He debunked reports that Jonathan had accepted to run for the presidency next year.
He stated, “I have just seen a publication credited to the group, saying that the former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan has accepted to run for the presidency. That is not correct. We will be happy. Anybody who wants to run for the presidency from South-South, we will be very happy about it.
“ When it has not happened and people want to put the record in a wrong way that is not good,” Ikiogha stated.
He said the group was consolidating its stand by trying to mobilise and enlighten the South-South on the need to produce the next President, saying the members also visited Jonathan recently.
“So we have been visiting people, making consultations here and there and visiting people, Just as we visited any other people or aspirants or suspected aspirants, we also visited him (Jonathan). And he cannot of course push us out. He is the father of South-South politics today.
“Obasanjo (former President Olusegun…) called him recently, his colleague. So if we want to take a major decision that concerns the South-South, there is no way we cannot meet him and sell our idea to him, which we did.
“That is the stand of the South-South Presidency in 2023. That it is our turn to present the next President. We want to complete our tenure. We have one tenure left.
“If we are going to be united and move ahead, move together in this country, whether we are minority or not, we should be given a chance to complete our tenure before we can call ourselves brothers.”
Asked if the group had begun moves to reconcile Jonathan and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, he said it was not a major concern of the association, saying “They should decide to reconcile each other.
“What we are saying is that if anybody among them, just accept to become vice-president and become this or that and not the President. We will not be happy with that person.
“We have told them that nobody should accept the chairmanship of a party or a vice-presidential candidate of a party. So if anybody wants to come out, we have the political know-how to run that political party down.” ,,
