16th September, 2021
The All Progressives Congress on Wednesday said former President Goodluck Jonathan would be welcomed and allowed to run for the 2023 presidency under its platform if he decides to join.
National Secretary of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe stated this on Wednesday while reacting to the question that APC was wooing Jonathan to join and become its Presidential standard-bearer for 2023.
Akpanudoedehe said, “I am hearing that for the first time that we are expecting the former President. That will be great news. We will welcome him; that will also strengthen the party.
“The last National Executive Council (NEC) of the party actually 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.”
Akpanudoedehe added that more governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party are expected to join the APC before December.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan described the possibility of Jonathan and other PDP governors joining APC as mere speculations.
Ologbondiyan, in his response, 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.”