Bayelsa: Dickson Says He Met Jonathan 15 Times To Agree On PDP Candidate Without Success

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has finally opened up on his relationship with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan over the governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP saying he had at least 15 meetings with the former president without coming to an agreement.

He nevertheless dismissed insinuations of a quarrel between the two of them as he accused some people around President Jonathan of imagining a quarrel between them even when there was none.

Dickson said that as a sign of the cordiality and his respect for Jonathan that he was set to present the PDP governorship candidate and his running mate to him in due course.

The Governor said in a statement by His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, on Sunday, that the decision to present the candidate to the former President, a proud son of Bayelsa, was due to the high respect he has for him as a leader.

He said that presentation of Senator Douye Diri and his running mate, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to  Dr. Jonathan would take place at the earliest convenience of the former President.

Governor Dickson made the statement when the Ogbia Restoration Caucus,of  the PDP, from Jonathan’s Ogbia Local Local Government Area, visited him for an interactive session on Sunday.

The Governor who described the former President as his elder brother and leader noted that he was deeply appreciative of the  mutually beneficial political alliance and relationship spanning over 17 years between the two of them.

The Governor who dismissed the insinuations of a frosty relationship between him and Dr. Jonathan, said that the report was the handiwork of self-centered politicians on a mission to use the former President’s name to cause mischief.

He explained that politicians around the former President had been in the habit of fabricating reports of non existent conflict between him and Dr. Jonathan over the years once they fail to achieve their political expectations.

The Governor told Jonathan’s kinsmen that he visited the former President on 15 occasions out of respect to compare notes with him and to agree on a candidate to support collectively which unfortunately did not happen during the transition period.

The governor commended the Ogbia Restoration Caucus and all members of the party for holding onto the PDP which gave the Ogbia people, Bayelsans, the Ijaw people, and indeed the Niger Delta, the opportunity to contest highest offices in the land which APC truncated in 2015.

However, the Governor condemned the politics of defection in Ogbia Local Government Area which according to him, should show gratitude to the PDP, Bayelsans, the Niger Delta and other Nigerians for their support for their son who was privileged to occupy the highest positions in the land.

“If the rest of this state, the rest of the Ijaw nation, the rest of Nigeria, supported us and worked with us, then the least we can expect is that we in Bayelsa and Ogbia in particular should be faithful to the PDP.”

Governor Dickson said that he was not particularly surprised by the defections in Ogbia as shown by the defections that immediately followed Dr. Jonathan’s lost in the 2015 elections.

According to him, a week after the Presidential election of 2015,  a serving Senator,  a member of the House òf Assembly from the Local Government Area and even the Rep defected to the APC.

The Governor said that those making allegations against him in the bid to rationalize defections and ingratitude to the PDP should make bold to tell Nigerians that they were leaving in pursuit of money and Federal appointments being dangled to them.

Governor Dickson further condemned the way and manner the name of the former President was brought into a governorship contest where all aspirants are his people.

The Governor said that the politicians who framed the governorship candidacy of an aspirant they supported as a contest between him (Gov Dickson) and Dr. Jonathan were unfair to them, especially Dr. Jonathan stressing  that it was pity that it was allowed.

He said that no governor especially a second term governor almost completing his term would sit idly bye and watch politicians in his party impose a candidate on him as they tried to do.

The Governor who noted that his decisions were not personal said that  he was left with no option than to protect the party and team that he had led for almost eight years.

“Nobody here is Dr. Jonathan’s mate in Bayelsa. He was a former President òf Nigeria but some people around him are always dragging his name into the local politics of the state, the politics of the local government area just to have their way, and when they fail, they spread the propaganda that the former President is sidelined. I have been silent all along out of respect for the man that I respect as my oga any day.”

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG