Jonathan yet to join us – APC

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said former President Goodluck Jonathan is yet to register in his ward as its member.

The APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday, said Jonathan was not expected in the APC any time soon.

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Jonathan, who rose to his political pinnacle on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is said to be under intense pressure to defect to the APC, but his Media Aide, Ikechukwu Eze, denied the claim.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, on Wednesday, Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen John Akpanudoedehe, said if Jonathan joins APC, he will be given the opportunity to contest the next general elections.

There are hints that the party wants the ex-president to pick its 2023 presidential ticket, win the election and return power to the North in 2027, in line with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) having done another term of four years from 2011 to 2015.

But APC said, “Jonathan has not defected yet. If he wants to defect, he knows the right thing to do; he will go to his ward and register.

“As far as we are concerned, for now, he is not a member of APC. He is not our member as far as he is yet to register in his ward.”

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) and other members of his party have said the defections by PDP members to the APC is nothing to brag about.

He spoke while reacting to the defection of the member representing Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency of Rivers State, Promise Chisom Dike, from PDP to the APC.

“Mr Speaker, it’s very funny how the APC-led government is priding themselves that they intimidate people to join their party while Nigerians can’t sleep. There is insecurity in the nation. Today, Zamfara is locked out. Even Katsina is totally locked up,” Elumelu said.

However, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, urged the minority leader to bring a motion on insecurity instead of faulting a members’ defection and bringing in another issue.