2023: Ex-President Jonathan holds secret meeting, plots a return

The former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was plotting to come back in 2023, if a meeting he held secretly at Aridolf Hotels and Spars in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State was anything to go by.

In the meeting, he met with his SouthSouth zonal coordinators leadership are currently consulting and considering his plan to stage a comeback.

Jonathan is currently a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but has been very close to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Jonathan’s meeting at the hotel in Yenagoa on 27th December, 2021 came after he earlier met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday at the Aso Rock presidential villa.

Jonathan’s meeting with Buhari was a close door one and the details were not released to the Villa newsmen.

Some mainstream media have reported last year that plans were afoot by some All Progressives Congress governors in the North to return the Ex-President in 2023. This the media said, was to assuage the Southern part of Nigeria, after which presidency would quickly return to the North since he has only four years to spend based on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, an ally of President Jonathan was the initiator of South South Presidency 2023 and was also present at the meeting with other stakeholders.

A source, said the governors of two Northwest states are championing the plot. He added that the scheme was part of the reasons a minister from the South South spoke recently against the then administration of Jonathan.

He said: “The coordinators of the group plotting for Jonathan to return to Aso Rock in 2023 met recently with Jonathan at his wife’s Aridolf Hotels and Spars.

“The chairman of the group, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, and other South South coordinators were present at the meeting. Jonathan indicated an interest in their campaign and asked them to return to their different states to continue with their campaign.

“This plot has been kept active by two governors from the Northwest, who are plotting for a strong APC Northern governor to become Jonathan’s running mate.

“There is also a plan to reconcile Jonathan with the South South minister.”

Currently, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar had indicated interest to contest presidency in 2023 on the PDP platform.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State was said to have been interested with Nyesom Wike as his proposed Vice. Wike has severally visited Sokoto State ahead of 2023.

The ruling All Progressives Congress may likely consider its presidential candidate from the South with its National leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu strongly interested. This is not without the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who is being pushed forward by some powerful interest groups.