2019: Jonathan’s Kinsmen Allege Ex-President, Wife Working For Opposition

2019: Alarm bell rings as Jonathan’s kinsmen allege ex-president, wife working for opposition

………It is a lie – Jonathan

Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Kinsmen
of former president Goodluck Jonathan have raised the alarm over what
they called manifest danger to the electoral fortunes of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State with Jonathan and his wife
backing opposition candidates against PDP candidates in the national and
state legislative elections.

Jonathan has however, dismissed the
allegations with a wave of the hand describing those behind the
allegation as being dishonest.

Jonathan’s kinsmen under the
auspices of Ogbia Renaissance (OR) said they had proof that the former
president was angry that his preferred candidates lost out in the
National Assembly and House of Assembly primaries. And as such, he was
secretly working with opposition elements to undermine the electoral
fortunes of PDP in Ogbia and Bayelsa East senatorial district.

The Chairman of OR, Mr Obhioru Mitanoni, in a statement accused Jonathan
and other PDP chieftains of committing clear anti-party activities
ahead of the forthcoming legislative elections in the state.

According to him, OR is aware that Jonathan and his loyalists were
backing Cleric Awudum, (Accord Party) against the PDP candidate,
Munaleyefa Gibson, in Ogbia Constituency 2, Gabriel Ogbara of Advanced
Democratic Congress against the PDP candidate, Naomi Ogoli for Ogbia
Constituency 3, Samuel Ogbuku APC, a former chief of staff to former
governor Timipre Sylva, against Fred Obua, thé PDP candidate for Ogbia
Federal constituency and Senator Nimi Barigha Amange ADC against Chief
Blessing Ipigasi Izagara of the PDP for Bayelsa East senatorial
district.

He called on the national chairman of the PDP, Prince
Uche Secondus, to take urgent steps to avert an impending disaster
threatening the electoral fortunes of the PDP in the next election.

The statement read in part: “Jonathan and his loyalists’ brand of
petty, self-centred brand of politics in Ogbia is a mockery and cruel
slap on the enviable track record of late Senator Melford Okilo and
other notable founding fathers and leaders in Ogbia land who fought hard
to raise the profile of the Ogbia kingdom. Their selfish brand of
politics has left Ogbia completely desolate, abandoned and rudderless.
Ogbia that was once the pride and envy of the old Rivers State and Niger
Delta is now a land begging for attention with the bulk of her people
feeding from the crumbs that have fallen off the dining table of some
self-glorifying leaders with no sense of mission.”

Jonathan
through his media aide, Ikechuckwu Eze, has however insisted that he was
not part of any plot to undermine the PDP in Ogbia and Bayelsa East in
the forthcoming elections.

Eze in a telephone interview said OR
allegations were similar to the ones made recently by some unnamed
stakeholders in Bayelsa State, noted that he would give the same
response he gave.

“It is manifestly dishonest, deceitful and
preposterous for anybody to suggest that former president Dr. Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan is working against the interest of the party on which he
rose to occupy the highest office in the land. As one of the leaders of
the party, having served as president on the platform of the People’s
Democratic Party, it is obvious that Dr. Jonathan has continued and will
continue to work for the success of PDP across the nation. He is also a
father-figure and a statesman whose door is open to all Nigerians
desirous of visiting or consulting him on sundry matters, including
politics. Even then, he has always given his support and blessing to his
party’s candidates in all elections,” he said.

Source:- sunnewsonline