There is serious confusion in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This is as an unconfirmed report says that four All Progressive Congress (APC), governors have moved to adopt former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
According to the report, there is a grand plot to draft Jonathan into the presidential race, with four APC governors from the north leading the charge.
Also championing the idea are a group of 10 politicians from the south comprising notable figures from Bayelsa, the state of the former president.
According to the report, the group had been given the mandate to begin a media campaign that would midwife the plan.
The report said that the group is led by a chieftain of the APC from Bayelsa and Jonathan’s political allys were said to have met on two occasions to discuss the modalities of rolling out the campaign.
Further, it stated that the northern governors wanted the south-south to start the campaign while they play a supportive role in convincing the APC to give its ticket to the former president.
The report also stated the plot was to first begin a campaign for the south-south to complete its tenure in 2023.
The source was quoted to have said:
“10 known politicians mainly from Bayelsa State have come together as a group. Their job is to start a media campaign on the need for the south-south to complete its tenure. They believe that since every other zone that produced the president ruled the country for eight years, the south-south should be allowed to complete its tenure.
“The four northern governors backing the return of Jonathan in 2023 wanted the south-south to start the campaign first while they play a supportive role in midwifing the process. They want the argument to originate from their zone of interest.”
It was also gathered that the team had already held a meeting with Jonathan and would soon meet with the northern governors involved in the project.
The source said Jonathan was interested in the project, hence he had refused to publicly deny his continual linkage to the 2023 presidency on the APC platform.
“The plan of these APC governors is to allow power return to the north after four years since Jonathan is entitled to only four years.
“The north believes that their tenure under the late President Musa Yar’Adua was cut short and they need to quickly return to power after 2023.
“If the plan goes well, Jonathan will defect to the APC and a significant number of politicians in PDP across the south-south including Bayelsa will join him.”
Wisdom Ikuli, a kinsman of Jonathan and public analyst, reportedly said there was nothing wrong in the move to bring Jonathan back to Aso Rock.
He said: “If we say we are fighting for equity and we believe in justice and fairness then it demands that the people of south-south should be given the remaining one term because they have done one term. When they complete that one term it will now rotate to another geopolitical zone.”
Before now, there had been speculations that the ruling APC may field Jonathan as its presidential candidate in 2023.
However, Jonathan has not denied that he might contest for president in 2023.
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