Former Special Assistant on New Media to ex-President Jonathan, Reno Omokri has said that the former president would not pick Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai as running mate in the 2023 presidential election.
He further stated that Jonathan has no intention of seeking the presidency in the coming election and would not abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Re-alignments of old political foes have been predicted ahead of the 2023 general election, and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s alleged courting of Jonathan, when some top party chieftains visited him at home last year, gave impetus to rumour of a possible defection.
There have also been reports that El-Rufai would run as vice-presidential candidate to the ex-president in the coming election.
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Reacting in an interview with The Punch, Omokri said, “They are trying to put that story out there to put pressure as to promote Nasir El-Rufai as a presidential candidate.
“I spoke to former President Jonathan just before this interview. That story is a lie, quote me. Nasir El-Rufai will be the last person if former President Jonathan is thinking of running, of which he is not even thinking of running.”
He assured that Jonathan would not defect to the APC based on his antecedents.
“The best judge of future behaviour is past behaviours. Former President Jonathan has been in one party all through his life. He is 63 years old and he doesn’t have that kind of history. He doesn’t have that kind of reputation. To the best of my knowledge, former President Jonathan is not leaving the People Democratic Party, He is a very loyal man just like me,” Omokri stated.
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