A former member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kano State, Hon. Sumaila Abdulrahman Kawu, said that those rooting for the candidature of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the ruling party are doing a great disservice to the party.
Kawu, who served three terms in the House of Representatives, said in a statement on Wednesday that Jonathan had played his role and should be left alone, noting that APC has candidates with better credentials from the Southern part of the country. The former principal officer of the House in the 7th Assembly, who was also a Senior Special Assistant to the President on House of Reps Matters, said pushing for Jonathan to become APC’s candidate would automatically mean the party has failed.
Describing Jonathan backers as “enemies within,” Kawu said APC has qualified and credible candidates from the Southern part who can eminently contest for the APC presidential ticket in 2023.
“I don’t think those pushing for Jonathan to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari under our great party wish the APC well. Yes, Jonathan is a reformed democrat who deserves our commendation.
“But he had played his own role under the PDP. Nobody will take away the credit of conceding defeat as a sitting president and handing over power to the opposition peacefully from Jonathan. As a matter of fact, he is better than some of the people in our party.
“However, we cannot as a party say Jonathan should come and pick our presidential ticket when we have better candidates in our midst. That will mean we have failed,” he said.
Kawu said if APC is interested in giving her presidential ticket to the Southern part of the country, there are stalwarts of the party that contributed immensely to the success of the party.
