As the Peoples Democratic Party begins preparations for the 2023 general elections, immediate past President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has assured party faithful of the commitment of ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan to avail the PDP his experience, time and resources to return it to power, particularly at the centre. 

This is even as Senator Saraki told journalists that the former President is bent on seeing the PDP bounce back to national reckoning. 

Saraki who was speaking shortly after leading members of the PDP national reconciliation and strategy committee to a meeting with Jonathan at his Maitama-Abuja home, expressed happiness at the turn of events, following unconfirmed reports that the ruling party had been making subtle moves to get the ex-President into its fold. 

The former president said they were at the former president’s home to let him know the party’s plans and also to hear his own views and advice on what the party need to do and how to do it as well as how they need to strengthen the party and reconcile aggrieved members in order to bring about unity and focus within the party. 

He said the meeting which lasted over one and half hour was very productive, adding that the former president gave them his views and that they are happy that the former president reassured them of his commitment to the PDP. 

On whether the meeting deliberated on the possibility of Jonathan gunning for the Presidency in 2023; Saraki was evasive adding however that the former first citizen’s pledge to work in furtherance of the cause of the PDP is commendable.

Present at the meeting were other members of the committee including former Governors Ibrahim Dankwambo, Ibrahim Shema and Liyel Imoke of Gombe, Katsina and Cross River state respectively; ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and erstwhile House of Representatives leader, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande. 

Correspondent Nnabuchi Okey Nnabuchi reports that the Saraki committee was inaugurated few months after the PDP lost the 2019 Presidential election to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, with a dual mandate of reconciling aggrieved members who left the party's fold for one reason or the other as well as wooing new members into the party ahead of the next general election cycle.