Crisis hits the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC over the alleged influence of the wife of former Nigerian President, Patience Jonathan on transition committee.
Source report that there is trouble in paradise between The Jonathans and the Bayelsa chapter of the All Progressives Congress, the APC as party chieftains and politicians loyal to the newly elected governor, David Lyon have kicked against the overbearing influence of Patience Jonathan, the wife of former Nigerian President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Trouble started, when it was discovered that the former President and his wife submitted 9 names in the transition committee that was recently announced by the Governor-Elect, David Lyon.
The APC stalwarts have accused the former first lady of trying to hijack the transition committee by implanting many of their loyalists, who recently decamped from the the PDP on the list.
A chieftian of the party who preferred not to be named, told our correspondent that minister of Petroleum, Timipre Sylva is to be blamed for all the post election internal wrangling bedeviling the party in the state.
“I blame the honorable minister.
I honestly don’t like the dimension that this is going. Some of us laboured and campaigned vigorously for Lyon’s victory. Why must Patience be allowed to wield such amount of influence on the transition committee? Apart from making available her hotel, Aridolf Hotels and Spa, of what benefit was she to our party that she would have such level of control on who becomes a member of the transition committee? This is not right”.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has since the emergence of David Lyon as newly elected governor of Bayelsa state been under fire from PDP leaders and youths online for betraying the party for the wife’s freedom and the Malabu oil scandal hanging around his neck.
Some leaders of the party have threatened to suspend the former president for working against the party in his state for ‘obvious selfish reasons’. The leaders have alleged that the APC used Jonathan to validate and legitimize the electoral fraud that was carried out in the oil rich Bayelsa state.
And to add a bit of spice, David Lyon and some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress were at the country home of the former president to pay him homage and thank him immensely for the help rendered to them during the election hours after INEC’s results were announced.
A source close to the former president confirmed that the former first lady, Patience Jonathan could not contain her joy when the news of David Lyon victory started filtering the media.
In another news, the former governor of Jigawa State and founding member of the peoples Democratic party, Dr. Sule Lamido has accused the former president Goodluck Jonathan of betraying the party that helped him reach the pinaccle of his career.
Lamido in an undiluted and fearless interview with The Sun newspaper alleged that Jonathan betrayed the PDP in Bayelsa because the federal government was “blackmailing him” over malabu issue.
The former governor said, “I can’t imagine a former president selling his own state to the opposition — to the very party which called him names, which demonized him.
“ They are holding him by the balls. Because Jonathan sure knows his problem with Buhari and with this government. And the issue of Malabu, I think, played a key role, I said so. So, the elections were won and lost by PDP. PDP history, PDP tradition and Jonathan were behind him. That I can say anywhere because the issue of Malabo is an issue I know very well. I had cause to discuss it with him.
“While he was the president and I was in office, I went and told him about it. I told him and I also gave a radio interview to an FM in Abuja, which Daily Triumph picked, where they said a minister under Jonathan got almost 150 million dollars Malabu scam— Governor Lamido. And when Reuben Abati came to debunk itor to abuse me, I went to Reuben Abati, I know what I am saying, can we go to the Villa, I discussed this with Jonathan. I told him about it. Let us go.
“What I am saying is that obviously because the leadership of the APC and the government are blackmailing Jonathan and I think I can say it anywhere that he traded this for his own freedom.”
Another source close to the Governor Elect also revealed that they are planning on curtailing the excesses of the former first lady and that of Sylva. The source said: “We are taking steps in ensuring that Lyon succeed. We won’t allow Patience and Sylva to ruin his administration. We will do everything possible to shield him from them”. Indeed, there is trouble in paradise.
Consequently, some of Jonathan’s loyalists and kinsmen on the transition committee are as follows:
Prof Seiyefa Brisibe
Rt Hon Claudius Enegesi, Chief Eboroh E. K Edeba, Hon. Nadu karibo
Hon Ebianga Egain
Oboma
Engr Mike Ogiasa
Sen. Barigha Nimi Amange
Chief Moses Otazi
Amb. Augustus Osuomo
Further investigation by our correspondent revealed that Chief Moses Otazi, a member of the transition committee is local paramount chief in Goodluck
