Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience have been accused of sponsoring main opposition party All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state ahead of the governorship election in Bayelsa.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Support Group in the state said the moves being made by the former Nigerian leader and his wife could have a negative effect on the fortune of the party in the forthcoming election holding on November 16, 2019.
The group accused them of doing what could cause confusion in the PDP by falsely encouraging multiple governorship aspirants to enter the race, saying their move is to make the party lose the election.
Coordinator of the group, Isaac Ipidei, in a statement , said while Jonathan invited many prominent Bayelsans (with the pretext that he was supporting them), to join the governorship race, the ex-first lady and his close political ally, King AJ Turner, have been meeting with Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group urged the national leadership of the PDP to note “the dangerous duplicity of Jonathan and his political camp, and so take requisite steps to avert any threat to PDP’s victory at the November 16 governorship polls”.
Ipidei called on the national leadership of PDP to take the expected measures to halt the action linked to the former President to prevent him from repeating the PDP loss of political power at the centre in his native Bayelsa.
Ipide also accused the former president of sponsoring opposition candidate to subvert the party’s chances for reasons known to him.
He urged PDP in Bayelsa to be wary of the former President, who he accused of deliberate refusal to support the party financially or morally during its moments of trial and during crucial elections since 2012.
“The PDP Support Group is constrained to make these comments about our former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, whose actions are bothering on sabotage in the coming primaries of our great party.
“It is sad that Jonathan is not playing his expected role as a former President and leader; he does not support the party in any way, yet encourages several politicians to indicate interest in the governorship of the state on the pretext that he is supporting them; this is just to create confusion,” The Nation quoted him as saying.
He said “A number of the aspirants are traceable to him, his wife, his friend, King AJ Turner. In spite of this, they are constantly meeting with Chief Timipre Sylva.
“We wish to alert our national leaders that this unnecessary duplicity on the party of the former President is a threat to the party in the next election which should be stopped forthwith,” he said.