The National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Suleiman Argungu, disclosed that former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Central Bank of Nigeria governor Godwin Emefiele had bought the party’s presidential forms in preparation for the 2023 general elections.
Argungu, who also served as the former Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, unveiled this revelation during an interview with Daily Sun.
He highlighted that both Jonathan and Emefiele acquired their forms through proxies.
He told Daily Sun: ”Those that surprised me were about two or three aspirants. The first one is former president Goodluck Jonathan.
”He did because I felt that somebody who has risen through such ranks, having worked with us as deputy governor, became the governor, the vice president, and then won the president.
”’I felt like what did he forget at the State House Villa that he wanted to go back and pick.
”Yes, most of them did not personally purchase the forms because their representatives or groups came, but nobody will just go and buy forms for him without consulting and confirming whether he was interested or not, especially with the amount of money involved, N100 million, and other expenses they incurred during the processes of buying the forms because they come in a large group.
”At that time I became an instant celebrity because the aspirants wanted to take pictures with me.
”The second person who picked forms that really surprised me was former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
”I felt that by the Electoral Act, civil servants will not just declare interest to contest for president, especially as there is a stipulated time frame he must resign.
”I was surprised that I did not hear of his resignation when he bought forms to contest the APC presidential primary.”