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2023: We will go to Court if Jonathan Joins Race – Igbo Group

The Igbo Leadership Development Foundation has said if former President Goodluck Jonathan contests in the coming general elections, his group will go to court.

 The group’s Vice Chairman/Director of Public Affairs,  Law Mefor, stated this on Thursday. His comment follows a warning by the Peoples  Democratic Party members in the House of Representatives to Jonathan not to accept offers of the APC and the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)  

Mefor noted that the South-East region would produce the next President, and Jonathan won’t stand a chance because the constitutional amendment restrained him from participating.

He said, “I have said it before, and I’m repeating it. We will go to court to challenge it if Jonathan joins the presidential race.

“What my group, Igbo Leadership Development Foundation, would test in court is whether Jonathan can be sworn in as President of Nigeria a third time despite the express constitutional provision against it.

“We are waiting for Jonathan to pick up a political party’s nomination form. The Igbo Leadership Development Foundation will approach a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge his qualification to stand for this election. I have nothing personal against Jonathan. After all, I was in his media team in 2015, but we have to do things right under the law and not as a nation of impunity.”

Meanwhile, last week, Jonathan, while responding to calls seeking his candidacy for the number one seat, said he was still consulting on whether to contest or not and urged them to “watch out”.

Earlier, Femi Falana has said the former President could not contest the poll in line with section 137 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

There have been speculations that the former President may defect from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and join the presidential race. 

Falana, in a statement, said: “It has been confirmed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has decided to join the All Progressives Congress, APC, to contest the 2023 presidential election.

However, the former President is disqualified from contesting the said election by 137 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, which provides as follows: ‘A person who was sworn in to complete the term for which another person was elected as President shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term.’

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