Members of the nomadic Fulani and the Almajiri communities have vowed to force the N100 million All Progressives Congress Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms on former President Goodluck Jonathan to enable him to contest in the 2023 presidential election.
This is coming hours after Jonathan, who is still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, rejected the APC forms allegedly bought in his name by the Fulani group, which is an extraction of the nomadic Fulani and the Almajiri communities.
According to Jonathan’s aide, Ikechukwu Eze, “Buying a presidential aspiration form in the name of Dr. Jonathan without his consent, knowing the position he had held in this country, is considered an insult to his person.”
Regardless, the Secretary of the Fulani Group, Usman Mohammed, was quoted by The PUNCH as saying that they would ensure that Jonathan doesn’t leave the country without accepting the forms.
“I believe you are aware of how we blocked his office in the FCT during our rallies in Kano, Suleja, Minna, and Abuja, and forced him to come out to address journalists. It is the same approach.
“If he doesn’t accept our form, we won’t let him out of Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, the Fulani pastoralists opted for the choice of Jonathan out of the almost 30 APC presidential candidates because of his patriotism and love for Nigeria.
Mohammed explained that his people were compelled to sell their livestock to raise money for the nomination forms because of the development he brought into the Fulani and Almajiri schools.
“Jonathan is a Christian with a heart of Muslim. When he was president, he supported Almajiri schools, took care of our children, and fed them in many Northern States.
“The money for the nomination form was contributed by Fulani cattle rearers in the country. We saw some media reporting Miyetti Allah or Northern Youths. That’s not true.
“Besides, he is the most experienced of all the APC presidential candidates. None of the other candidates has ever been president of the country, including Tinubu.
“He is a man who loves Nigerians and loves other people’s children more than his own. We need him to continue with his Almajiri school project, especially in Kano where we have over three million of these students. None of them bought uniforms with their money,” he said.
