2023: Why APC Bigwigs Have Eyes On Jonathan

Pundits have given the explanation why the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders are keeping track of former President Goodluck Jonathan to dump the opposition Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) and pitch tent with the ruling get together.

For the reason that go to of APC governors led by Yobe State governor and chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Conference Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, on the event of Jonathan’s birthday in his Abuja residence in November the polity has been twitching with speculations of his doable defection to the ruling get together.

That is particularly because the APC has resolved to whittle down the construction of the PDP.

The ruling get together has proceed to reap PDP governors, senators, members of the Home of Representatives and lots of different bigwigs into its fold forward of the 2023 common elections.

Final week, the Appearing Nationwide Chairman of the PDP, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, led a delegation of get together leaders from the South on a go to to the previous president in his Abuja residence.

There have been hints that the PDP leaders visited the previous president to, amongst different issues, enchantment to him to not defect to the APC in view of the present disaster bedevilling the opposition get together.

The South is agitating for energy shift to the area on the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023, on the grounds {that a} gentleman pact was reached by APC leaders previous to the 2015 ballot that the get together would cede its apex ticket to the South after Buhari.

A reputable supply within the APC who spoke with our correspondent, nevertheless, claimed that Jonathan was approached to leap ship to the APC so he may decide the get together’s presidential ticket to win the 2023 ballot and hand over energy to the North in 2027.

“It’s the northern calculation to retain energy for lengthy. However the request, the agitation for the presidential seat to be rotated to the South in 2023 is changing into louder. In order that they wish to use Jonathan as a really smooth bride to shortly cross a really lengthy ocean.

“What I imply is that Jonathan has already achieved 4 years as president, so he could be the one candidate from the South that constitutionally shouldn’t be permitted to do eight years. So what they wish to do now’s to make use of him to realize that goal in order that after governing for 4 years, the ability will shift to the North in 2027,” he stated.

He argued that the political actors within the North had been feeling cheated that the South had spent extra years within the State Home for the reason that return to democracy in 1999.

“That is the rationale the North is agitating: Obasanjo did eight years from the South, then energy shifted to the North, however Yar’adua didn’t full his tenure. Jonathan accomplished that tenure and loved a contemporary tenure of 4 years as president.

“So eight years of Obasanjo plus six years of Jonathan, that’s 14 years. Two years of Yar’adua and eight years of Buhari might be 10 years. So the South continues to be forward of the North by 4 years,” he stated.

One other supply within the PDP who spoke with our correspondent stated, “I agree that Jonathan might be an excellent materials and might be good for this permutation to have stability for democracy.

“For Jonathan to do one time period of workplace and go away energy to return to the North in 2027 is a greater calculation if the northerners might be affected person.”
However a political analyst, Chief Jackson Lekan Ojo, stated, “How on earth is it that Jonathan who was the goal of political destruction in 2015 is now changing into a bride for a similar get together that ousted him?

“I wish to advise Jonathan, the type of honour they’re giving to him throughout the globe now, I believe he’s price it. But when by any likelihood Jonathan contests election in 2023, he would possibly finally lose to a PDP candidate who emerges from the North and that might be politically suicidal for him.

“So for me, as he has retired, and as an elder statesman, he has been deputy governor, he has been governor. He was vp, he has been performing president, he has been president. What else does he need? He shouldn’t enable APC to make use of him.

“It’s not that they love him; they don’t love him. It’s simply that they wish to use him as a result of he has confirmed himself to be a profitable device. It might be politically suicidal for him on the finish of the day.”

A chieftain of the APC, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, confirmed to our correspondent that get together leaders had been working laborious to maneuver key political actors from the PDP together with Jonathan.

“I left PDP for APC and he (Jonathan) is my chief, so I might be very glad to see him be a part of the APC. I used to be working with him,” he added.

When contacted for feedback, Governor Buni’s Director Normal, Press and Media, Mamman Mohammed, stated he was not conscious of the event.

The APC Deputy Nationwide Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, who spoke with our correspondent, nevertheless, stated, “it isn’t a difficulty to debate.”