2023 Presidency: Youths Give ex-President Jonathan 7-day Ultimatum

 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.

They said this was to enable the ex-president to obtain the nomination form to contest the 2023 presidential elections.

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

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

“We have been mandated to, most respectfully, urge President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately progress to pick a membership form of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from his ward in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, within seven days after Ramadan.

“If at the end of seven days after Ramadan, ex-President Goodluck 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 ex-President Jonathan’s private office, and we shall remain there for as long as it may take him to decide,’’ Saiki said.

“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 ex-President Jonathan’s private office, and we shall remain there for as long as it may take him to decide,’’ Saiki said.

He said that the network on Tuesday wrote a letter to Jonathan to urge him to register and obtain the APC membership card, and subsequently obtain the presidential nomination form.

“We earnestly hope that President Goodluck 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 life is a unifier. That unifier is ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,’’ he said.
 Members of YNNU stormed the rally with placards with various inscriptions such as “Goodluck Jonathan run on APC platform, “Goodluck Jonathan, you must run, “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 and urged him to contest the 2023 presidential election.

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