Some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains from Bayelsa State have begun moves to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the 2023 presidential race, it was learnt on Sunday.
The APC chieftains, according to sources, were encouraged to kick off the ‘Jonathan for President’ project by four APC governors from the North.
It was gathered that 10 politicians from Bayelsa, the state of the former President, had been given the mandate to begin a media campaign.
The group-led by a chieftain of the APC from Bayelsa and Jonathan’s ally, was said to have met on two occasions to discuss the modalities for the campaign.
The source said the Northern governors wanted the South-South to start the campaign, promising to a play a supportive role in convincing the APC to give its ticket to the former President.
The strategy is to first begin a campaign for the South-South to complete its tenure in 2023.
He said: “Ten known politicians mainly from Bayelsa State have come together as a group. Their job is to start a media campaign on the need for the South-South to complete its tenure.
“They beleive that since every other zone that produced the President ruled the country for eight years, the South-South should be allowed to complete its tenure.
“The four Northern governors backing the return of Jonathan in 2023 wanted the South-South to start the campaign first while they play a supportive role in midwifing the process. They want the argument to originate from their zone of interest”.
The source said already, the 10-member group had held a meeting with Jonathan and would soon meet with the Northern governors involved in the project.
He said Jonathan, who interested in the project, has not denied his link with the 2023 agenda.
“The plan of these APC governors is to allow power return to the north after four years since Jonathan is entitled to only four years. The North believe that their tenure under the late President Musa Yar’Adua was cut short and they need to quickly return to power after 2023″, he added.
The source said notable figures in the Bayelsa State Government had agreed to support the move adding that they are also ready to defect to the APC.
“If the plan goes well, Jonathan will defect to the APC and significant number of politicians in PDP across the South-South including Bayelsa will join him”, he said.
A kinsman of Jonathan and public analyst, Wisdom Ikuli, had earlier said there was nothing wrong in the move to bring Jonathan back to Aso Villa.
He said: “If we say we are fighting for equity and we beleive in justice and fairness, then, the people of South-South should be given the remaining one term because they have done one term. When they complete that one term, it will now rotate to another geo-political zone”.
But another source said that if some APCgovernors continue to push for Jonathan, it would lead to the disintegration of the ruling party.
Though Jonathan has not publicly declared his intention to run in 2023, he has also not denied having a presidential ambition.
(The Nation)
