There is a strong indication that the rift between the wife of the
President, Patience Jonathan, and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has
deepened.
It was learnt that Bayelsa senators and members of the House of
Representatives at the National Assembly had allegedly joined forces with the
First Lady against Dickson.
The federal legislators, it was learnt, had formed a strong alliance to
counter the moves by the governor and his loyalists to deny them re-election in
the 2015, through zoning allegedly orchestrated by Dickson.
The aggrieved lawmakers, it was further learnt, had backed the moves by
Mrs. Jonathan to replace Dickson with her loyalists in 2016.
The governorship election will take place in 2016.
Recently, it was gathered that some of the senators allegedly held
separate meetings with President Jonathan and the First Lady in a bid to
perfect strategies to outsmart Dickson, to get the Peoples Democratic Party
tickets for 2015 general elections.
The governor has been locked in the battle of wits with the lawmakers
following their interests to return to the National Assembly for the second and
third terms.
The governor’s camp was said to have, through stakeholders’ meetings,
arrived at decisions to zone the National Assembly positions for the sake of
equity, unity and peace.
The development has undoubtedly created some cracks in the state chapter
of the PDP, resulting in the holding of parallel congresses by the federal
lawmakers to counter moves by Dickson’s loyalists.
It was gathered that following the development that played out during
the congresses, Dickson was angry, particularly at the alleged plots by Mrs.
Jonathan to work against his return in 2016, in addition to the gang up by the
national lawmakers to have their way.
The last week’s visit of the First Lady to the state provided an
opportunity for the federal lawmakers to make a bold political statement to
Dickson’s camp.
At the Samson Siasia Stadium, where the President’s wife had gone to
distribute empowerment items and cash to Bayelsans under the auspices of the
Millennium Development Goals, all the three senators representing the state
were in attendance but Dickson was absent.
Mrs. Jonathan had at the event told the large crowd that before they
arrived in Yenagoa, the three senators had held a meeting with President
Goodluck Jonathan prior to the event. A source, who craved anonymity, said that
the absence of Dickson at the occasion was a pointer to the cracks in the
relationship between the governor and the First Lady.
“All these are just passing strong messages to the governor that all is
not well. Also, both the First Lady and President Jonathan failed to attend the
Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day, even though they were in town then. The battle has
just begun,” the source said.
But Dickson had said on Sunday that there was no division in the rank
and file of the PDP in the state.
He maintained that the party was one peaceful unit, a focused family,
under the leadership of Jonathan and himself.
He had warned party faithful, particularly those seeking elective
positions and their supporters, to be mindful of their utterances and actions.
He expressed concern that unguarded utterances could be capitalised upon
by the opposition to paint a wrong picture of the state of affairs in Bayelsa.
Dickson restated his unflinching support for Jonathan’s re-election,
calling on the political class and the entire people of the state to support
the President.
It will be recalled that the First Lady resigned her appointment as
Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service recently.
Though the 57-year-old Patience was said to have left the service
voluntarily, sources said the resignation was due to the alleged rift between
her and the governor.
The alleged frosty relationship between them was said to have been
triggered by her unwillingness to support Dickson’s second term bid.
Instead, it was learnt that the First Lady had preference for the Special
Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa.
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