Youths give ex-president Goodluck Jonathan 7-day ultimatum

By EMMANUEL MOGBEDE

The Youths Network for Nigeria Union (YNNU) has given former president Goodluck Jonathan a seven-day ultimatum to obtain the All Progressives Congress (APC) membership card at his Otuoke Ward.

Chairman of YNNU, Mr Ibrahim Saiki, gave the ultimatum on Wednesday at a rally in Abuja to urge Jonathan to join the presidential race on the platform of the APC.

He said registering as a member of the APC was critical to enable the ex-president obtain the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to contest the 2023 presidential elections on its platform.

He said if the ex-president failed to register and obtain the party’s card at the end of the deadline, the youths would occupy his Abuja office and remain there until he made a decision.

“We have been mandated to, most respectfully, urge former president Goodluck Jonathan to immediately progress to pick a membership form of the APC from his ward in Otuoke, Bayelsa, within seven days after Ramadan.

“If at the end of seven days after Ramadan, Jonathan remains undecided, we shall most respectfully repeat our visit to his office for a second meeting.

“ It should be noted that over 20,000 of our more than 500,000-strong members across the nation have expressed the unreserved desire to participate and encamp at Jonathan’s private office.

“And we shall remain there for as long as it may take him to decide,’’ Saiki said.

He said the group on Tuesday, wrote a letter to Jonathan to urge him to register and obtain the APC membership card, and subsequently obtain its presidential expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the 2023 presidential election.

“We earnestly hope that Jonathan fully understands that our future depends on his decision.

“Therefore, we do not intend to relent in our pursuit of the true desire of Nigerians at this time.

“To us in YNNU, what Nigeria needs at this period of our national history is a unifier. That unifier is ex-president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of YNNU were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions such as: Goodluck Jonathan Run On APC Platform, Goodluck Jonathan, You Must Run.

Other placards read: “We are waiting for you, declare now and Goodluck Jonathan, declare for President now.

It will be recalled that the youths met with the ex-president on April 22 at his Foundation office in Maitama, Abuja, and urged him to contest the 2023 presidential election.

While responding, Jonathan called on the youths to get more involved in politics and urged them to watch out for his next move.

“Yes, you are calling me to come and declare for the 2023 presidency, yes I can’t tell you am declaring, the political process is ongoing, just watch out.

“But the key role you must play is to pray that Nigeria gets a president that will carry the young people along and work very hard to see that some of the country’s problems raised are dealt with.

“I believe that collectively, we can work together,” Jonathan had said. (NAN)

•PHOTO: Members of the Youths Network for Nigeria Union (YNNU) at a rally on Wednesday, urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to the 2023 presidential election