Uncertainty in PDP as APC grants fmr President Jonathan ‘founding member status’ for defection

The insinuation of the defection plan of former President Goodluck Jonathan from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is deeply gaining currency in both parties. The intended defection has thrown the PDP into mix-up and uncertainty while the ruling APC has opened its doors wide, luring the former president with significant status.

The ruling APC has disclosed that it will be a delight for the party to receive former Goodluck Jonathan from the PDP into the party.

The PDP had maintained that the party has not received any official correspondence or notice from former President Jonathan of his intention to dump the party for the APC.

The PDP last Wednesday declared former President Goodluck Jonathan has never informed or notified the party that he has any intention or plan to depart from the party or join the ruling APC.

There have been strong speculations in the past few days that former President Jonathan has defected to the APC from the PDP.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodinyan, however, declared on Wednesday that the PDP has not received any indication or any official confirmation from the former president that he has defected to APC.

The PDP Reconciliation Committee led by former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, lhad in August 2021, led the committee to visit former President Jonathan at his residence in Abuja on the speculation about his defection to APC. Saraki had disclosed that though the former president admitted that there have been disturbances for him to join the APC but assured that he remained a PDP member, considering the PDP as a party of open opportunities to all members.

The Reconciliation Committee appealed to the former president to jettison any idea of defection to the APC, pointing out his immense importance to the PDP.

As the speculation of Jonathan’s defection gains deepening currency in the polity, the National Secretary of the APC caretaker Committee, John James Akpanudoedehe, had on Wednesday, revealed that the APC is prepared to welcome former President Jonathan and grant him “founding member status” when he joins the party. Akpanudoedehe had declared that the party will grant Jonathan a founding member status if he decides to join the party and contest for the 2023 presidential ticket of the ruling party, like other aspirants.

Akpanudoedehe maintained: “welcome him; that will also strengthen the party.

“The last National Executive Council of the party actually gave a blanket approval to any individual that if you join APC today, it is as if you are a founding member of the party.”

There have been insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari and northern APC leaders want former President Jonathan back in 2023 after the eight years two tenures of the President ends. They were said to have been making overtures and lobbying the former President to dump the PDP and defect to the ruling APC, where the APC leaders in the north were said to have promised him the 2023 presidential ticket of the party.

It is noticeable that former President Jonathan has maintained highly cordial relationship with President Buhari since he left office in 2015. He has also been less critical of the incumbent President Buhari.