***say we sold cows to buy Jonathan’s nomination form
A Northern group comprising nomadic pastoralists and Almajiri communities, late Monday in Abuja, said it has 14 million ready votes to hoist former President Goodluck Jonathan to victory in next year’s elections.
This is as it said its members sold several of their cattle to raise the N100m required to purchase the All Progressives Congress’ presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for Jonathan.
Recall that on Friday, April 22, 2022, a group of agitators stormed the Abuja private office of the ex-President, urging him to declare for the 2023 presidential race.
Since April, however, other groups have vented their displeasure to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, warning the party not to field Jonathan in the presidential race.
But speaking to journalists shortly after obtaining copies of the nomination and expression of interest forms, the group’s leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said they made the decision based on Jonathan’s track record of support for the Almajiri and Fulani community.
According to him, “We are ready not only to purchase this form for Goodluck Jonathan, but I want to assure you that our communities, the nomadic pastoralists has the voting power of about nine million votes plus the advisory who also can produce about five million, about 14 million, all we are asking other Nigerians is to give us at least two million and we are home and right.”
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“I represent two of the most vulnerable communities in our country. The nomadic pastoralists and the Almajiri communities have decided to purchase this form for our former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to come back and rule this country and continue with the good work he has started.
“You may recall that during Goodluck Jonathan’s era he was the first president since the independence of Nigeria who has found it expedient, who was magnanimous enough to build the Almajiri a comprehensive policy of reformation and integration of the Almajiri into the mainstream educational system in Nigeria. It was the dream and the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan that if that program had continued it would one day produce from the Almajiri system of education; doctors, engineers.
Unfortunately, that program was kept aside as soon as he left. Another part of the vulnerable community that Goodluck Jonathan wanted to really give a sense of belonging to was the Fulani community, the nomadic pastoralists.”
Abdullahi noted that members of the group sold their cows to raise the N100m fee to purchase the nomination and EOI forms to be presented to Jonathan.
“As you may have heard, a lot of interest groups have been coming out to urge him to contest but we felt that because it is the deadline that was given whether he agrees or not, we need to purchase this form.
“Goodluck Jonathan is for all Nigeria. As Nigerians we believe he has the interest of this country at heart, he will accept us.
“You can see that we are almost late to buy these forms, we have been trying with the Almajiri and the Fulanis selling our cows. We were able to raise this just yesterday and we decided to come and purchase these forms,” he explained.
