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Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan Shuns PDP Convention
There are speculations the previous president plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress to contest the 2023 presidential ballot.
Nigeria’ former President Goodluck Jonathan who campaigned for a second time period underneath the platform of the Folks’s Democratic Social gathering (PDP) was conspicuously absent at its nationwide conference on Saturday.
The occasion which occurred on the Eagles sq. in Abuja had highly effective PDP bigwigs in attendance. The likes of governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, and Senate Minority Chief Enyinnaya Abaribe, amongst different prime celebration officers and members.
Previous to the conference, the previous President’s media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, launched his itinerary, disclosing that Mr Jonathan could be in Nairobi, Kenya, for a three-day peace and safety occasion organised by the African Union.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will depart Abuja, on Saturday, for Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, to attend the twelfth African Union (AU) Excessive-Stage Retreat on the promotion of peace, safety and stability in Africa,” the assertion mentioned.
Nevertheless, Mr Jonathan’s noticeable absence has heightened hypothesis of talks that he was planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) the place he could get a ticket to contest the 2023 presidential ballot.
Though the previous president’s supporters are goading him to affix the ruling celebration, Mr Jonathan’ deafening silence has continued to gasoline rumours that he could also be contemplating the choice offered he’s assured the candidacy of the presidential ticket in 2023.
In September, The Africa Report famous how Yemi Akinwonmi, the performing nationwide chairman of the Peoples Democratic Social gathering (PDP) and different celebration officers went to Mr Jonathan’s residence to speak him out of defecting to the APC.
In October, Peoples Gazette reported how Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike insisted that Mr Jonathan stay with the PDP as his curiosity would greatest be served with the celebration if he supposed to run for president within the subsequent political cycle.
Efforts by Peoples Gazette to extract an announcement from the previous president’s spokesperson failed as Mr Eze’s cellphone remained unreachable as on the time of publishing this report.
