I am under Pressure to Contest 2019 Presidential Election - Jonathan
The Ex-president admitted that he has been receiving calls, messages and mails from both local and international groups, asking him to contest in 2019.
He made the statement while addressing his kinsmen who paid him an end of year visit in his hometown, Otueke in Bayelsa State.
The former president, however, said he is not thinking of contesting for now, as he believes he has done his best for the country while in service.
He said he believes that his successor(s) would continue from where he stopped.
Jonathan, who ruled from 2011 to 2015, lost his bid for re-election in last year’s presidential polls to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
However, since his departure from office his profile has risen both locally and internationally.
There have speculations that Jonathan may stage a comeback bid in 2019.
It could be recalled that some Peoples’ Democratic Party chieftains are putting pressure on Jonathan to consider re-contesting for the presidency in 2019.
The chieftains noted that it was the party and not the President that failed in the 2015 general elections.
They lay the defeat of Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 presidential election on the doorsteps of members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), who refused to work assiduously to help President Jonathan win the election.
The chieftains are pushing for the re-organization of the party to pave the way for the emergence of Jonathan as the party’s candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
Jonathan has however being more engaged with international mediations especially in conflicting countries since leaving office in 2015.
He has also been used as a reference point for African leaders with sit tight mentality.