Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, tactically avoided the
Bayelsa State delegation, led by Governor Seriake Dickson, who came to rejoice
with the President on his 57th birthday in Abuja on Thursday.
No member of the National Assembly from the state was also on the delegation.
There has been no love lost between the governor and the President’s
wife over an alleged plan by Mrs. Jonathan to stop Dickson from being
re-elected as the state governor.
It was reported that Bayelsa senators and members of the
House of Representatives at the National Assembly had joined forces with the
First Lady against Dickson.
The report had it that the federal legislators had formed a strong
alliance to counter the moves by the governor and his loyalists to re-elect
them in the 2015, through zoning, allegedly orchestrated by Dickson.
The report added that the aggrieved lawmakers had backed the moves by
Mrs. Jonathan to replace Dickson with her loyalists in 2016.
The President’s wife who attended the first event to mark her husband’s
birthday earlier in the day was conspicuously absent during the visit of the
Bayelsa delegation about two hours after.
Jonathan, however played down his wife’s absence while thanking members
of the delegation for the visit.
He simply said his wife “left” without disclosing her whereabouts.
“On behalf of my wife who just left, I sincerely thank you the governor,
the government and our traditional rulers and our brothers and sisters from the
state who have done this,” he simply said.
Dickson had earlier told Jonathan that the delegation was in the
Presidential Villa to show their solidarity, support and love to him on his
birthday.
He also said contrary to reports, Bayelsa State was united, stable and
peaceful.
The governor later told State House correspondents that he would not
dignify those claiming that there is a rift between him and the President with
a response.
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