2023: APC Gives Jonathan Condition For Presidential Ticket

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that no special status will be accorded to former President Goodluck Jonathan should he defect to the party and show interest in its 2023 presidential ticket.

The party said Jonathan must like all other party members, pass through the nomination and internal democratic process through which party candidates emerge.

The secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe made the clarification on Friday in a statement where he observed that some erroneous notions are spreading in some sections of the media that the party is ready to grant Jonathan ‘superior’ waivers and an automatic presidential ticket should he join the party.

Naija News reports severally, there have been rumours that Jonathan will dump the PDP for APC and contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the ruling party.

The rumour mill has it further that the APC is already putting structures in place to create a soft landing for the former President.

Akpanudoedehe, however, explained that the waiver granted by the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) resolution at its last December meeting applies to all new members and not Jonathan alone.

He added that the waiver doesn’t excuse any aspirant from going through the normal process through which candidates for the party will emerge.

“The waiver is definitely not specific to anyone as being misconstrued and misrepresented in some sections. Coming into the party gives no one special status of being an automatic party candidate in any election. All aspirants must undergo the nomination processes outlined by the APC constitution.

“Excerpts of APC NEC 8th December 2020, resolution: “…new members will enjoy all the benefits and privileges accruable by virtue of their membership of the party. So, they will be able to contest for positions in the party. They will be able to contest elections without any requirement of being members for a number of years or period of time,” he observed in the statement.

Meanwhile, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has ruled out the possibility of the 2023 presidential ticket getting zoned to the southern region of the country.

The Governor who spoke on Friday alleged that the southern governors, and most especially, those of them from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are not trustworthy.