APC says Jonathan Can vie for President on its Platform

The ruling All Progressives Congress has said that if former President Goodluck Jonathan decides to join its party, he will compete for the presidential seat in the coming race.

The National Secretary, APC Caretaker, and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, John Akpanudoedehe, stated this during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

His comment follows speculations that the former President is assuming to join the ruling party. He added that Jonathan would be granted a founding member status if he decided to join the party.

However, he said the ex-president’s opportunity would not be automatic, as he would have to compete with other party members before he gets the ticket.

According to Akpanudoedehe, “I am hearing that we are expecting the former President for the first time. That will be great news. We will welcome him; that will also strengthen the party.

“The last National Executive Council of the party gave blanket approval to any individual that if you join APC today, it is as if you are a founding member of the party.

“So, anyone who joins today has the same opportunity to run for any office in this party. It has always been so, so I am not speculating,” he added.

In November 2020, the Chairman of the Caretaker/ Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress, Mai Mala Buni, and some APC governors had unprecedently visited ex-President.

However, the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, had then dispelled reports that Jonathan was planning on defecting to the APC ahead of the 2023 elections.

When the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, was contacted, he said, “Speculations that our former President and some of our governors are joining the APC remain what they are, speculations that exist in the figment of the imagination of the authors of such baseless speculations.”