Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has put on hold his planned collection of the African Democratic Congress membership card, amid growing speculation that former President Goodluck Jonathan may join the 2027 presidential race and he is being courted by the ADC.
Atiku, who recently resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party after prolonged internal disputes, was scheduled to formalise his defection to ADC with the collection of his membership card.
The membership card would be presented to Atiku by ADC officials at his hometown of Jada, in the Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
However, our correspondent gathered that the ceremony, which was slated for Wednesday, August 6, was postponed indefinitely without an official explanation from the former vice president’s camp.
This is even as a chieftain of ADC told our correspondent that the party had been holding discreet talks with Jonathan over a possible presidential run in 2027.
Speaking with our correspondent, the ADC Chairman of the Adamawa State chapter, Shehu Yohana, said Atiku’s formal reception into the party had been postponed without a new date.
“I spoke with the former vice president on the phone Friday morning, and he told me he has shifted the event to mid-August, but no specific date was mentioned.
“From the way things are going, due to one issue or the other, the event may get to September.
“He (Atiku) said that he was waiting for some All Progressives Congress governors who are planning to join ADC to decamp before his event in Jada,” Shehu said.
Tension over Atiku, Obi, Jonathan
Meanwhile, a chieftain of ADC at the national level, who did not want his name in print, told our correspondent that the postponement may not be unconnected with the power tussle between Atiku and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
The party chieftain alleged that the Obi political movement had hijacked ADC structures in the South, a situation, he said, had put Atiku’s presidential ambition under threat.
“From all indications, if things did not work out well for Atiku within few weeks to come, I see him defecting to the Social Democratic Party,” he stated.
The party chieftain added that the suspension of Kaduna State’s former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from SDP stemmed from the fear that Atiku may return and form what he described as a “political cartel” in the SDP.
Our correspondent further gathered that the various Atiku support groups in the ADC have been pressuring their leaders to exit the party if the crisis persists. This, may also not be unconnected with the rumoured planned comeback of ex-President Jonathan for the 2027 presidential election.
A principal member of the ADC said the party had been holding talks with Jonathan to join the party.
“We are talking to him (Jonathan), and we are getting a positive response from him so far. I can assure you that he is not going to contest under the PDP; he knows the problem there. Does he want to wrestle with Wike who has the grip on the party? The former President is a gentleman and a refined politician,” the party chieftain said.
He added: “The leaders of the coalition have met him about three times, and the ex-President appreciates their efforts to rescue the country from the current economic quagmire occasioned by President Bola Tinubu’s bad policies. He recalled how he left the country, and things have now gone worse.”
Asked if the former President would be given an automatic presidential ticket, the ADC chieftain said, “When we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it.”
When contacted for confirmation, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, simply said, “ADC is open to everybody and we look forward to having every Nigerian who is ready to rescue the country from this hardship.”
Our correspondent notes that Jonathan’s campaign posters have surfaced on the social media with some pitching him with Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, and ex-governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as running mates.
However, Jonathan’s wife, Patience, declared on May 11 this year that she would not seek a return to the Aso Rock Villa, but support the current First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for the 2027 general elections.
Mrs Jonathan, while accepting the Women Icon Leader of the Year 2025 award from Accolade Dynamics Limited in Abuja, said, “All the way, we are with you (Tinubu). No shaking. We will follow. Direct us, and we will follow. Because there is only one president at a time. We don’t have two presidents.
“I believe in one president. I believe in turn-by-turn. When it’s your turn, I will support you. When it’s not your turn, step back—so that the country can move forward,” she said.
‘Atiku not afraid of Jonathan, Obi’
However, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, insisted that the former vice president is not threatened by the political ambitions of any potential rival, including Jonathan and Obi.
Speaking with our correspondent on Saturday, Ibe also dismissed the speculation that Atiku had suspended plans to formally pick up his ADC membership card due to rumoured talks between the party and Jonathan, saying that the process of Atiku’s registration was ongoing and unchanged.
“Nothing has changed; we don’t want to give mischief-makers an opportunity. Atiku Abubakar registered as a member of thw ADC in Jada ward of Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State, and the process is still on, so nothing has been suspended,” Ibe said.
According to him, Atiku is a democrat who welcomes competition and will not be intimidated by anyone’s decision to run for president.
“Atiku is a democrat, and he cannot be threatened by anyone’s ambition. The beauty of democracy is that the minority will have its say, and then the majority will have its way. There will always be choices.
“Unlike what Tinubu is currently doing, using the instruments of state to lead everybody into a one-party dictatorship, Atiku will not be coming from where he is, where he feels that what Tinubu and the APC are doing is not democratic, and would want to prevent anyone from declaring their ambition,” he added.
Ibe said the former vice president’s priority was to work with other Nigerians of goodwill to provide the country with a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“He (Atiku) will work with other men and women of goodwill to try to give Nigerians an opportunity other than the APC and Tinubu. And then, he will not be threatened or feel threatened or worried because somebody has joined the race or decided to join the race, because all of this is just speculation.
“So, the more the merrier, it is democracy at work. I mean, let people who are throwing their hats into the ring, those who feel that they have something to offer, let them join it.
“Atiku will not feel threatened by anybody deciding on their own volition to join the race. Though we don’t want to give legitimacy to the speculations, Atiku will not be threatened by anyone, either Jonathan or any other person who has decided to join the race. The more the merrier, so that Nigerians can make informed decisions,” Ibe said.
‘Tinubu behind ADC crisis’
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ADC, who craved anonymity because he did not have the authourisation of the party to speak on its behalf, has accused the President Bola Tinubu government of working behind the scenes to frustrate Atiku’s ADC ambitions.
According to him, the APC is scared of Atiku and has vowed to sponsor all manner of agitations against him and the ADC.
He said, “The only person they (Presidency) are scared of is Atiku Abubakar. They don’t want him on the ballot. That is why they are doing everything to infiltrate the ranks of the ADC and cause unnecessary tension within the party.
“What Tinubu and his supporters want is a free ride to the 2027 election, and that is why they are scared of Atiku. What they don’t know is that the elections will be between Nigerians and the APC. Having gone through avoidable pains in the past two years, Nigerians know exactly what they want in 2027, and no amount of intimidation can make them back out of their resolve to vote out the incompetent APC.”
According to the party chieftain, the Presidency does not see Obi as a threat. He noted that with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, wielding considerable influence in the PDP, Obi might find it difficult to clinch the party’s ticket.
“They want Peter Obi and other southerners to run because they know that Bola Tinubu will be the strongest candidate of them all, if Atiku is not on the ballot. They are wooing Peter Obi to PDP, but there is no way the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, will allow Obi to have the party’s ticket,” he added.
Also speaking to our correspondent , the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the APC of plotting to destabilise the coalition structure ahead of the 2027 election in a bid to have a smooth electioneering ride.
Abdullahi vowed that the party would resist every form of sponsored attacks against it, noting that the task of sweeping away the APC-led government in 2027 must be done.
Since the change of guard, which saw David Mark replace Ralph Nwosu as ADC National Chairman, the party has known no peace with some ex-state chapter chairmen, criticising the manner in which Mark and his interim executive took over the administration of the party.
Asked if the ruling party was behind the protest against the Mark-led executive, the publicity scribe said, “We have repeatedly maintained this. All these things you see have become an enterprise. They hold press conferences to say they are challenging the leadership of David Mark. This has become a good business for them.
“They are wasting their resources and their time. We know the people behind this. It is either that the people are sponsoring them, or they are holding the press conferences to attract attention from those who will give them money. For us, we are not bothered about this. They should continue to entertain themselves.”
God with ADC – Aregbesola
In a related development, the National Secretary of the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday declared that the party’s quest to win the 2026 governorship poll in Osun State is already having a divine support.
Aregbesola spoke in Osogbo at the reception organised to mark the 60th birthday of an ex-Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam.
Salaam served as the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2018, when Aregbesola was the governor of the state.
The ex-Osun governor, who spoke in Yoruba language, after acknowledging the presence of the incumbent Speaker of the State Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, and the representative of the state governor, George Alabi, said he would not want to offend either of the two men with his speech.
He subsequently stated that God is supporting his new party to win the state in the next poll.
After rendering many songs purporting good fortune in the offing for his party, Aregbesola said, “I don’t want to offend the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Egbedun, and the representative of the governor. But I am very sure that it is our own (ADC) that God will support.”
Earlier, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Egbedun, noted Salaam’s contributions to the state democratic experience when he served as Speaker.
“You have always been my role model. The 8th Assembly is proud to associate with you. We see you as a role model.
“I told my people that I will relocate to my community if they elect me. I did it because I saw you, being the only Speaker in the history of Osun that holds his House firmly,” Egbedun said.
Speaking with journalists after the event, Salaam, called on Osun residents to avoid violence during the forthcoming poll, promising not to relent in campaign for politics without bitterness.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been taken back by loyal members, blasting defectors, asserting control of the party, and taking a swipe at opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The remarks, delivered at the PDP’s 10th Elective National Convention in Abuja, captured what party leaders are pitching as a turning point, an attempt to move past months of internal crisis, reassert control, and reset the party for 2027, even as rival camps and opposition forces continue to circle.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a key power broker within the PDP, used the convention to frame the moment as both a victory over internal turmoil and a reset of leadership within the party.
“Today marks the rebirth of our party in a new form. Today is the birth of a united party, ready to move forward,” he said.
The convention, which was monitored by the electoral umpire, was cited by Wike as proof that the party had regained institutional footing after a prolonged dispute over its leadership.
“We have seen the convention monitored by the electoral umpire… which also tells you the importance of this gathering,” he said, commending those who organised the exercise.
Wike then shifted to a more pointed message, drawing a clear line between members who stayed through the crisis and those who left.
“Leadership is not easy. It requires courage, firmness and commitment. What we have seen, some governors leaving, only shows a lack of leadership. When crises arise, true leaders stand and resolve them; they do not run away,” he said.
He praised party members, especially at the grassroots, for staying loyal despite the uncertainty that surrounded the PDP in recent months.
“When push came to shove, you refused to be discouraged. When some who claimed to be leaders threatened and intimidated you, you endured. Through your perseverance and faith, you have brought us to this moment, and here we are, victorious,” Wike said.
At the heart of his message was the claim that the party had been restored to its base.
“More importantly, we have reclaimed and returned the party to its rightful owners, the people,” he declared.
Even so, Wike left the door open for those who left the party, urging them to return, but on the basis of unity and discipline.
“Our brothers and sisters who may have left should return and join us in rebuilding this party for the collective good. No one will be excluded; everyone will have an opportunity to serve in unity and in law,” he said.
Then, widening the target beyond his party, Wike turned his fire on the opposition, including Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate.
“What you have seen happening, the actions of a faction of some governors who have walked away, only shows that they lack a sense of leadership.
“I liken them to the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. That candidate was given a platform by the Labour Party to pursue the presidency, yet when a crisis arose within the party, it was precisely the moment leadership was required. Instead of stepping forward to resolve the problems, he could not, and failed to provide that leadership.
“In the same way, when our governors were seeking a platform to become governors, they found one and achieved their ambition. But when crises emerged, and it was time to demonstrate leadership, vision, and courage, they ran away. That tells you who can truly stand firm in difficult times.
“It is like a family: when you have a wife, or wives, and there are problems in your household, you do not abandon your family. You remain there and work to resolve the issues. That is why I thank all of you for your commitment. You have shown leadership, real leadership.
“Let no one assume that the achievements of the President will shield anyone. This is a period of accountability. You must demonstrate your responsibility and commitment, because when crises arise, some people flee. They seek positions, even aspire to lead the country, yet when faced with challenges, they withdraw,” the FCT MInister said.
Wike also looked ahead to the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that the PDP would remain a major contender.
“By the grace of God, the PDP will be there by March 2027,” he said.
He called on members to recommit to the party and strengthen internal structures to better reflect public expectations.
“As we move forward, we must create legitimate channels through which the voices of the people will be heard and respected.
“So we must be careful about such sub-national actors. As I have said here, whether you are from Taraba, Bayelsa, or anywhere else, return our mandate. Return our mandate, that is the message I have for you,” Wike said.
The National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, will on Monday (tomorrow) join the African Democratic Congress, our correspondent can authoritatively report.
Credible sources in the ADC and NNPP confided in our correspondent that Kwankwaso would make a formal declaration for his new party in Kano.
According to a principal official of the ADC who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity on Saturday, the National Chairman and Secretary of the party, David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, respectively, will welcome the former Kano State governor into the party.
Our correspondent gathered that Kwankwaso was likely to join the ADC alongside the immediate past Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo.
Gwarzo resigned from his position on Friday, as confirmed by his media aide, Ibrahim Shuaibu.
The ADC had been courting Kwankwaso for more than three months, with the former governor reportedly demanding the vice-presidential slot of the party to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso had eyed a joint ticket with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Both Obi and Kwankwaso’s camps had confirmed the move, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo said to be the brains behind the alliance.
The ADC had also intensified its discussions with Kwankwaso following the defection of his political son and the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress.
Yusuf joined the APC on January 26 with members of the state House of Assembly and his cabinet.
Findings revealed that Kwankwaso finally concluded plans to join the ADC on Thursday after a meeting with Aregbesola at his residence in Abuja.
Reliable insiders disclosed to our correspondent that Kwankwaso had earlier agreed to join the ADC and picked last Tuesday, March 24, for his declaration until he made a U-turn, insisting that he would not join the party until he was promised the vice-presidential slot.
“We have been talking to Kwankwaso, and he has agreed to join the ADC. He was supposed to declare for the party last Tuesday in Kano in the presence of our national officials. But he made a sudden U-turn, insisting that we must promise him the vice-presidential slot; failing that, he would no longer join the party.
“The National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, said he was not in a position to make that kind of commitment; that was how Kwankwaso refused to make the declaration,” an official of the party disclosed to our correspondent .
After the rejection, Aregbesola held a private meeting with Kwankwaso on Thursday, the aftermath of which was the NNPP leader’s readiness to join the ADC.
Apart from Aregbesola, Kano State officials of the ADC also held a meeting with Kwankwaso, but it was not clear whether their meeting preceded that of the former interior minister.
A picture of the former Kano State governor and Aregbesola taken after the meeting was shared on social media by Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan.
Planned Monday defection
Providing an update on the meeting, the credible ADC official said Kwankwaso had agreed to join the party and would make a declaration in Kano on Monday.
“He (Kwankwaso) has agreed to join without preconditions,” the ADC chieftain said in a terse message to our correspondent on Friday.
This is as a leader of the NNPP, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Kwankwaso would depart Abuja for Kano on Sunday (today) in preparation for the ADC declaration.
The NNPP official said, “The leader (Kwankwaso) will be in Kano on Sunday and some NNPP officials have been informed about his decision to join the ADC. I think the declaration will be done on Monday.”
Another national leader of the NNPP confirmed Kwankwaso’s declaration move.
He said, “It is true. We’re going to join ADC on Monday. We will be in Kano. You can expect a large number of people at the declaration. Kwankwaso owns Kano, and he will demonstrate his strength on Monday.”
However, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said he was not available to comment on the matter when contacted on Saturday.
He said, “I will call you back; I may not be able to respond to your enquiry right now.”
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said he was not aware of the planned declaration.
“I am not aware; I have not been available for a while,” he said.
Calls and messages sent to Hassan for official confirmation of Kwankwaso’s defection were not answered.
The development came a week after Obi, Makinde, and former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, met Kwankwaso at his residence on Miller Road in Kano on Sunday, March 22.
Kwankwaso described the gathering as a moment of unity and joyous celebration.
ADC extends alliance to NDC
Meanwhile, sources in the ADC told our correspondent that the party had also extended its alliance move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with ongoing discussions with Dickson and other leaders of the party.
An insider said some leaders of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP faction would join the ADC “very soon,” a move he described as a strategy to revitalise the party as a formidable opposition platform.
Another ADC leader, who also spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday, said, “We have established that Makinde and Dickson are not working for President Bola Tinubu. Some other PDP leaders with Makinde will also move to the NDC. That will make the party a strong opposition platform, and they will use it to negotiate with the ADC as a bloc instead of as individuals.
“As a matter of fact, that is the reason Bala (Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed) is hesitating in his defection to the APC. He is with them (Kwankwaso, Makinde and Dickson). All of them are key politicians, and they are our allies.
“Our collective objective is to bring an end to Tinubu’s administration, which has pushed millions of Nigerians below the poverty line with its bad policies. Whatever it takes, we must work together and accommodate one another’s interests.”
He’s no threat to Tinubu – APC
Reacting to the planned move, the APC downplayed Kwankwaso’s defection to the ADC, saying he does not pose a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The National Secretary of the party, Ajibola Basiru, told our correspondent that the former governor lacked the political structure to challenge Tinubu.
He said, “Kwankwaso is free to move to any party he wants. That is the beauty of democracy. But he is not a threat to us, nor to President Tinubu’s second term. How can he be a threat? How many governors does he have? How many members of the Houses of Assembly? Let him go. Democracy is about contest; he is free to go anywhere. Even in the 2023 election, when he contested, he won in only one state. For us, we are focused on our own development. We are not concerned about whether anybody decamps or doesn’t want to decamp.”
The rival factions in the African Democratic Congress have taken the tussle for the leadership of the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission, as the Nafiu Bala-led camp seeks to take over the party.
Our correspondent learnt that Bala wrote to INEC, urging the commission to remove former Senate President David Mark and ex-Minister Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Chairman and Secretary of the party, respectively.
This follows the rejection of an appeal filed by Mark against the decision of Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit instituted by Bala against the ADC national chairman.
Bala, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, has been challenging the current party leadership, insisting that he was supposed to be the national chairman after the resignation of Ralph Nwosu, the former chairman.
But Justice Nwite, on September 4, 2025, rejected an ex parte motion filed by Bala, who had sought an order of the court directing INEC to derecognise Mark and Aregbesola as the new leaders of the party.
The judge also directed both Mark and Aregbesola to show cause why the injunction should not be granted, thereby putting them on notice to respond to the application.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mark filed a notice of appeal on September 18, 2025, challenging the decision on several legal grounds, including lack of jurisdiction.
However, on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, registered as CA/ABJ/145/2026, on the grounds that it was procedurally incompetent, having been filed against an interlocutory directive without first obtaining the required leave of court.
The appellate court, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, directed the parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
Bala moves to take over party leadership
We correspondent gathered that following the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, Bala approached INEC to recognise him as the national chairman of the ADC.
Bala, in a letter written to INEC by his counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), urged the commission to uphold the Court of Appeal’s decision by ceasing to recognise the leadership of Mark and Aregbesola.
In the letter, dated March 16 and obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, Emukpoeruo quoted the statement of the Court of Appeal, which reads, “That the parties are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.”
Emukpoeruo argued that the orders of the court are in two parts: one directing the maintenance of the status quo and another restraining any actions that could create a fait accompli or render proceedings before the trial court nugatory.
He urged members of the party to remain calm, law-abiding, and committed to the ideals and progress of the ADC.
Findings by our also revealed that a legal practitioner, Dr Sulaimon Usman (SAN), of Gamzaki Law Chambers in Abuja, had written to INEC to dismiss Bala’s claim, urging the commission not to entertain the prayers being sought.
Usman, in a letter dated March 16, 2026, and obtained by our correspondent said, “In the present circumstances, it would be consistent with the principles of constitutional order, judicial comity, and sound administrative prudence for the commission to refrain from recognising or acting upon any representation seeking to install or recognise any person as Acting National Chairman of the party pending the determination of the suit before the Federal High Court.
“This is particularly important given that the party presently operates under an existing leadership structure which emerged from the NEC meeting monitored by the Commission on July 29, 2025, and which remains the subsisting structure pending the determination of the court proceedings.”
Meanwhile, Abdullahi alleged that certain elements in the Presidency and the APC were mounting pressure on INEC to deregister the Mark-led National Working Committee members with a view to handing over the party’s structure to President Tinubu.
According to him, the game plan is to ensure that the ADC is not allowed to produce a presidential candidate so that Tinubu will run unopposed in the 2027 presidential election.
He said, “We have it on good authority that the INEC chairman is under serious pressure from the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress to stop the ADC, and they have mobilised most of his commissioners into the project.
“The plan is to ensure that all opposition leaders are locked down in the ADC and, at the last minute, announce its deregistration, thereby preventing opposition leaders from joining another party. We do not yet know how complicit the judiciary is in this plan.
“Tinubu does not want to run against anybody. He is afraid of contesting the election against individuals like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and other credible opposition figures.”
ADC making wild allegations, can’t gaslight INEC, says APC
Dismissing the allegation, the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, accused the ADC of making wild claims instead of addressing its internal crisis.
Basiru stated that it was irresponsible to accuse the Presidency and the APC of pressuring INEC to deregister the ADC when they are not parties to the litigation.
He said, “The Presidency and the APC are not parties to the suit in court. It was David Mark who went to the Court of Appeal, and the court said that the status quo ante bellum should be respected.
“One expects that any law-abiding organisation would respect the order of the appellate court rather than making red herrings and wild allegations against the Presidency or any other political party. We do not have any business with their litigation.
“If you decide to take over a party structure without due process, is that the business of the President or the APC? If you go to court and present a case that is not meritorious, is that the problem of the President?”
Basiru urged the ADC to obey the court decision even if it intends to appeal, warning that INEC should not be gaslighted into disobeying the court of law.
“Even if they disagree with the decision of the Court of Appeal, they should go to the Supreme Court. But until it is set aside, the order of the Court of Appeal that the status quo ante bellum should be maintained subsists.
“Any respectable organisation like INEC cannot be gaslighted into disobeying the order of the Court of Appeal. This shows part of their irresponsibility, lack of understanding of how the legal process works, and the propensity to always make wild allegations without any facts,” he added.
The APC national secretary absolved the party and the Presidency of the ADC crisis, saying: *“It is not our business. Our party is united and stronger. We do not have any business with their party, but they must obey the court of law, and INEC must also obey the court of law.
“You cannot gaslight INEC when there is a subsisting court order and then claim that the Presidency is putting pressure. The Presidency is too busy with serious matters to get involved in a political party that has not even taken off.”
