Alleged Planned Defection, 2023 Ambition Are Rumours – Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that his alleged defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and presidential ambition are mere rumours with no foundation
Spokesman of the former President, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, who stated the position of his principal while reacting to insinuations of the likely defection of Jonathan from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of 2023, described the insinuations as totally untrue and far from reality on ground.
Eze also said that the frequent visit to the President Muhammadu Buhari by Dr. Jonathan at the Presidential Villa had nothing to do with defection or presidential ambition.
Former President Jonathan was the candidate of the PDP in 2015 and was defeated by President Buhari of the APC.
Following the agitation for power shift to the southern part of the country, some northern APC power bloc have been plotting to get Jonathan declare interest in the presidency to complete his term of eight years.
However, other political forces from parts of the Southern Nigeria have expressed displeasure at such moves saying it is being planned to shortchange the geopolitical zones of the region.
Former President Jonathan while commenting on the matter through his spokesman-Eze, said that everything being said are mere speculations, stressing that his regular presence at the Villa was to brief his successor on his assignments as Special Envoy for the Economic Community for West African countries.
According to Eze, former President Jonathan met with President Buhari on Thursday to brief him on the political developments in the Republic of Mali.
In his words; “Defection issue and presidential ambition are all rumours. It has no foundation. Former President Jonathan went to the Villa to brief the President on the forthcoming ECOWAS meeting in Ghana. The meeting will discuss the political happenings in Mali. So, as a Special Envoy, he was at the Presidential Villa to brief President Buhari.
“There are issues in Mali and at the forthcoming meeting. ECOWAS leaders are to look at the transition timetable proposed by the Malian rulers and take a position on it. It is also at this meeting that a decision would be taken on whether to sanction the Malian military ruler or not. This is the issue that took oga (Jonathan) to the villa,” he said.
Commenting on the political meeting the Jonathan had with members of his defunct political co-ordinators, Eze said there was no iota of truth on the alleged agenda of the meeting, adding that there was no way Jonathan’s friends would not visit him in his home state in Bayelsa during the yuletide.
