Bayelsa election: PDP splits over Jonathan's role in poll
- PDP chieftains in Bayelsa are divided over the role of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the just concluded governorship election in the state
- Some PDP chieftains in Bayelsa say Jonathan should not be blamed for the defeat of their party
- Others believe that the former president should be held responsible for the ruling party
A report by The Nation indicates that the role played by former President Goodluck Jonathan to back the All Progressives Congress (APC) and help influence their victory at the just concluded governorship election in Bayelsa has divided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
While some PDP chieftains in Bayelsa say Jonathan should not be blamed for the defeat of their party, others believe that the former president should be held responsible for the ruling party's defeat.
Other party leaders, however, said that the alleged selfishness and autocratic leadership style of the state governor, Seriake Dickson, compelled Jonathan to take a back seat in the affairs of the PDP before and during the election.
A party leader, who spoke under the condition of anonymity said: “Nobody should mention Jonathan’s name. We were all witnesses when Dickson and some of his co-travelers vowed to retire Jonathan from politics. Dickson took all decisions alone.
“In the 2019 general election, Dickson singlehandedly selected all the PDP candidates that contested the National and House of Assembly elections including in the constituencies of Jonathan.
“When it came to the last governorship election, Dickson sidelined Jonathan even when Jonathan brought many senior citizens in the PDP to beg him to allow a former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe, to fly the flag of the PDP. Dickson refused. He was arrogant.
“He went ahead to impose his preferred candidate on the people and organised a stage-managed primary to actualise his wish. As if Dickson was not done, he ignored all entreaties by different stakeholders to give the running mate slot to anybody from Jonathan’s local government area. Everybody begged him but he refused and took the last decision that finally buried the PDP.”
He said that as at the time Dickson made moves for reconciliation, the damage had been done as most foot soldiers of Jonathan and Alaibe had already left the PDP.
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But an aide to the governor said there was no reason for Jonathan to have abandoned the PDP the way he did before and during the governorship election, adding that his decision to stay away from the activities of the party led to the loss of Bayelsa to APC.
The source said there was no sin Dickson allegedly committed that should not have been forgiven by Jonathan.
“In the interest of the PDP, Jonathan should have overlooked the errors of Dickson and work for the PDP to win the election. His absence was felt by the people of Bayelsa and his body language suggested that he wanted the opposition to win.
“We can now see that he supported the candidate of the opposition. What the former president did was anti-party,” he said.
Meanwhile, the deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, Mr Yekini Nabena has berated Governor Dickson for claiming that security agencies helped the party win the Bayelsa governorship election.
Nabena who dismissed the claims by the governor urged Nigerians to disregard the claim and not take Governor Dickson's statement seriously.
According to him, the election was free and fair and it was obvious that the people of Bayelsa state chose to embrace change.
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