Immediate past President, Dr. Gooduck Jonathan may defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, after the February 26 national elective convention, a highly placed source told Africa Informants.
There have been speculations about the membership status of Dr. Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in recent times, given his aloofness to the affairs of the party on whose platform he was elected deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa state and later Vice President and President of Nigeria.
Only a few weeks ago, former Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido questioned Jonathan’s commitment to PDP, noting that he was no longer sure if the former President was still a member of the party.
A chieftain of the ruling party who does not want his name in print, Tuesday, told Africa Informants that Jonathan will dump PDP in a few weeks time, “after series of meetings held in the last few months with leaders of the party, including President Muhamadu Buhari.”
He said: “The former President is highly respected locally and internationally. Contrary to the prediction of enemies of Nigeria that there was going to be war between him (Jonathan) and President Muhammadu Buhari, the reverse has been the case. They have been working together in the interest of the nation.
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“After the February 26 convention, there will be mass defection into our party, the APC and one of those we are expecting is the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
“I don’t want to make comment about his relationship with the PDP because I am not a member of that party. You are a journalist and please, permit me to ask you this: When was the last time you saw Jonathan in the gathering of PDP? Why is he not openly identifying with them particularly now that skeletal activities are beginning to shape up in preparation for 2023?
“Like a former governor said recently, it is safe to say the former President is no longer a member of the PDP.”
Meanwhile, there are indications that Bauchi state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed will follow Jonathan out of the PDP should the latter decide to do so. The governor, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, is a close political associate of Jonathan and is said to have informed close allies that the former President literally brought him to PDP.
Bala’s defection will no doubt thin the rank of the PDP in the North-East with only Governors Ahmadu Fintiri and Darius Ishaku of Adamawa and Taraba states respectively, the only governors produced by the party in the 2019 general election.
