Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari supporters are considering backing former President Goodluck Jonathan for 2023 presidential run.

THISDAY Newspaper is reporting that, “The thinking is that it will satisfy the increasing clamour for power shift to the South. Buhari’s close loyalists believed that Jonathan would be harmless to their group interest and as such the right person to take over if power were to shift to the South, “he handed over power peacefully and nursed no bitterness against anyone and therefore will not be a threat to the interest of the north,” according to a top source in Buhari’s camp who didn’t want to be identified.

The story reads in parts, “The attraction to Jonathan’s possible candidacy is that he will serve just one term of four years.

In a related development yesterday, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), disclosed that it would not discriminate against any person in the build-up to the next presidential election on its platform, including a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who the party said was free to take another shot in 2023.”

According to multiple sources within the northern establishment , “the former president is a good man, he did well in his first term and we believe he has learnt his lessons and where he failed and is unlikely to repeat those mistakes that cost him the presidency in 2015. He did alot for the North, so why not?” Another source privy to the development also told THISDAY last night “yes we are looking at the Jonathan option, he is a safe bet and of course a very amiable gentleman, who is not likely to rock the boat.”

Thus, within the northern establishment, the consensus is beginning to gain momentum, with Buhari’s loyalists pushing the button to have Jonathan succeed their boss.

THISDAY checks also showed a growing number of influential northern leaders of thought are favourably disposed to the idea of Jonathan’s second coming.

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