Of course, ex-President isn't coming back

On Thursday, December 22, 2016, former President Goodluck Jonathan was quoted as saying:

"I am under pressure to contest the 2019 election".

Every online news platform went to town with the quotes and amplified same into a story. The commentaries were tumbling in thick and fast.

Thanks to Senior Associate, 'Jola Sotubo,played the waiting game on the story. It sounded like a hoax from the off.

Hours later, the man at the center of it all, confirmed that the story was a ruse.

According to a media aide of the former President, Ikechukwu Eze, the story was a complete fabrication.

Eze also added that the former President was neither in his home state on the stated date nor met with his “kinsmen who paid him an end of year visit”, as the story read.

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The statement added that: "The former President was not in on Tuesday, neither did he make the comments attributed to him.

“In fact, Jonathan has only just returned to his community to spend having been away for two weeks, so he could not have been hosting anyone there last Tuesday.

“Of what good is it to our national development efforts if some people spend so much energy spreading falsehood about fellow citizens and our nation?

“The former President wishes his fellow compatriots a merry Christmas and prosperous New Year in advance, and advises all to always channel their efforts towards working to attain the nation of our collective dreams.”

This was obviously someone flying a kite while hoping it lands in safe territory.

Jonathan is never going to return as President. The odds are too stacked against him for the man to even contemplate another presidential run.

It is true that Muhammadu Buhari has been disappointing as President, but what this country needs isn't the man who wasn't any better as the nation's number one citizen.

Jonathan's supporters can wish and dream all they want, but the last thing their man wants right now is all the trouble that comes with overseeing the affairs of a country this polarised.

Jonathan is better off where he is now.

In the coming months, we'll see more and more rumours of this kind being hurled into the arena in an attempt to test the waters. It won't work.

Nigeria needs a clean break from the past. Jonathan is now history and his fans should live with this.

He had his moment and blew it.

GOODLUCK JONATHAN SAYS HE'S UNDER PRESSURE TO RUN AGAIN IN 2019