Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, rejected the presidential nomination forms allegedly obtained for him by a northern group – the Nomadic Herders and Almajiris Community in Nigeria.
He said he did not authorise any group to purchase the form for him.
Jonathan, through a statement by his Media Adviser Ikechukwu Eze posted on his Facebook page late Monday night, said he was not aware of the move.
The statement reads: “It has come to the notice of His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, that a group has purportedly purchased Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms, of the All Progressives Congress (the APC), in his name.
“We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorize it.
“While we appreciate the overwhelming request by a cross-section of Nigerians for Dr. Jonathan to make himself available for the 2023 Presidential election, we wish to state that he has not in any way, committed himself to this request.
“We thank the general public for their concern, as we continue to encourage citizen participation in the affairs of the country.”
Before the rebuttal by the former president, controversy trailed the nomination form purchase.
The group, led by one Ibrahim Abdullahi, claimed that it had picked the form for the former president.
One of the former president’s aides, Reno Omokri, said it would be difficult to shave the head of a person in his absence.
He tweeted: “First of all, to whet your appetite, let me say that under the rain and under the sun, I will follow Jonathan.
“Secondly, I can’t ever be one with APC. Thirdly, nobody can shave HE @GEJonathan’s head in his absence. Read between the lines. More to come!”