By Akinwale Kasali
The past week has witnessed Carpet Crossing from top Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chieftains to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The gale of the defection train is, however, moving on a high speed, forcing former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to lead a reconciliation Committee of the PDP on a visit to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at his Abuja residence.
There have been speculations that the former President could jump ship to the APC, following appeals and pressure from the ruling Party to have him in their fold.
It was also speculated that the APC was even promising to give Jonathan the 2023 Presidential ticket of the Party.
Addressing Journalists after the meeting, Saraki said “Jonathan is a no-go area for the APC, no matter how much the APC tries.”
The speculation over Jonathan began on his last birthday when an APC delegation, comprising of a number of the party’s Governors, including Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, who is also the Chairman of the APC National Caretaker Committee, went to wish him well, a courtesy his party, the PDP did not extend to him. Since then, the speculation has been strong, mainly being fuelled by a couple of people in the PDP, interested in the office of the President in 2023.
In deed, the Media Aide to Prince Secondus, National Chairman, Ike Abonyi, wrote a scathing article, attacking Jonathan. It is not on record that the party called him to order.
However, former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has taken to his Twitter handle to mock the former Kwara State Governor that it was ironic for Saraki to be part of the team after he (Saraki) left the PDP in 2014, causing Jonathan the 2015 presidential re-election.
The visit of the PDP reconciliation committee came amid rumour that the ruling All Progressives Congress was planning to offer Jonathan a presidential ticket and pair him with in 2023 with Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai.
Speaking about the visit, FFK wrote: “Interesting to note that the man that led the team to GEJ’s house to appeal to him not to leave the PDP yesterday is the same man that led the rebellion against him & the defection of Governors from the same party in 2014 & cost him the 2015 presidential election. What an irony!” he said.
Last week, the media was awash with the said defection of Fani-Kayode to the APC. Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, confirmed the defection, even though Fani-Kayode lamely denied it.
However, the Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Mr Lukeman, who had opposed the defection of Fani-Kayode to the APC, and appealed to the leadership of the party to reject him, was to issue another statement, thanking the party for rejecting Fani-Kayode.
Fani-Kayode did not counter Lukeman’s claim of being rejected the membership of the party.
In 2014, Saraki was one of the PDP heavyweights that defected to the APC, causing the PDP to lose power to the APC.
But after the victory, he was treated so badly in the APC, and persecuted no end.
He was then forced to dump the APC and went back to the PDP.
