Why Jonathan, Wike Shunned Bayelsa PDP Rally

By Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Wednesday brought the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa to a practical locked down as it held the grand finale of its governorship campaign.

Party leaders from across the country including governors, national leaders of the party came from far and near to show solidarity with Governor Seriake Dickson in his plot to hand over to his shy weelected successor, Senator Duroye Diri.

However, there were conspicuous absentees that have cast shadow into the unity of the party going into the election.

Among the conspicuous absentees were Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Nyesom Wike and Mr. Timi Alaibe

Why Were They Absent?

Dr. Jonathan

Governor Dickson was sincere recently when he claimed that ahead of the PDP governorship primary that he met President Jonathan at least 15 times to discuss the issue. He regretted, however, that the two men did not come to an agreement.

It has been variously alleged that Dr. Jonathan was and is opposed to the emergence of Senator Diri who remarkably worked in his administration as governor of Bayelsa State.

Like many other stakeholders in the state, Dr. Jonathan is believed to be peeved with the way Dickson went about the process of throwing up Diri as the candidate.

There have been insinuations that Jonathan was supportive of the aspiration of his former foe, Timi Alaibe as Dickson’s successor. Dickson was, however, believed to have strongly opposed it as he was variously known to have insisted that his successor would come from among his supporters in the state known as the Restoration Caucus.

Jonathan’s apparent support of Alaibe was interpreted in some quarters to the role of King Turner in the role of the Alaibe campaign. Turner was with Alaibe when the former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC collected his nomination form at the national secretariat of the party and played a visible role in the campaign.

However, what may have peeved Dr. Jonathan would have been the reported insistence on the governor in picking Senator Lawrence Ehwrudjakpo. The impression in several quarters is that Dickson purposedly picked the team for his own gain and expects to contest the Senate seat to be vacated by Senator Ehwrudjakpo should the PDP win.

It is a gambit that has rankled many including Dr. Jonathan.

Governor Wike

Governor Wike is Dickson’s closest neighbor of all the PDP governors especially being that Bayelsa was split from the former Rivers State.

Governor Wike according to multiple sources had backed Alaibe, something that became an issue in the leaked audio tape of a meeting between the governor and local government chairmen.

 Governor Wike’s allegiance to the Jonathan family and especially to Mrs. Patience Jonathan is also well known.

Mrs. Jonathan had been in a running battle for political supremacy with Governor Dickson from her days in the presidential villa and was believed to be inclined towards Alaibe.

However, stripped of the powers she once had as First Lady she was unable to discomfort the governor.

Mr. Timi Alaibe

The erstwhile managing director of the NDDC was the most potent threat to the actualization of Dickson’s succession plot. As a contestant in almost all the governorship elections in the state since 2003, Alaibe had over the years built a solid and intimidating political structure that he was able to activate once he declared his interest.

However, Dickson had sworn that his successor would not come from outside the Restoration Caucus.

His vow it is alleged was despite the supplication of some of Alaibe’s powerful friends from outside Bayelsa State including a prominent former head of state.     

It was as such not surprising that Alaibe was absent at the rally. Alaibe is presently in court aiming to prove that he is the candidate of the party.

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