PDP: We are not aware of Jonathan’s defection to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is not aware that former President Goodluck Jonathan has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this while speaking on a Channels TV programme on Friday.

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Daily Trust reports that the former president had joined the APC in his ward in Bayelsa State in 2019 but he is yet to announce his defection from the PDP, under which he was elected Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice-President and President.

Last week, a group called Nomadic Pastoralists and the Almajiri Communities led by one Ibrahim Abdullahi picked up the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms on Jonathan’s behalf, although a source later told Daily Trust that a northern governor paid for the forms

But Ologunagba said as far as he was concerned, Jonathan was still a member of the main opposition party.

He said, “We don’t want to comment on rumours. Membership of the party is personal, membership of the party is at the ward level.

“These questions would be better directed to the former president to say if he is still a member of the PDP or not.

“If you want to leave a party, there are procedures, he needs to go through his ward.

“As it stands, I am not aware of his resignation. So, I assume he is still a member of the party because I don’t want to speak on speculations.”

While referring to Jonathan as a true democrat, the PDP’s spokesman boasted that any of the party’s 15 presidential aspirants would defeat whoever the APC presents for the 2023 election.

He debunked the notion that the party threw its presidential ticket open following the reported defection of the former president to the ruling party, adding that the decision was taken to give everyone an opportunity to vie for the top position.

Ologunagba assured that though the PDP jettisoned zoning, its aspirants were consulting widely to arrive at a consensus.