Bayelsa Guber Poll: I Can't Work for APC, Says Jonathan …Endorses Diri, meets PDP governors

The ambition of the Bayelsa State candidate in the November 16 governorship election, Senator Diri Duoye, to succeed the incumbent Governor of the state, Hon. Seriake Dickson, at the weekend received a huge boost when former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, emerged from a closed-door meeting with governors of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) states, and endorsed Duoye.

At the meeting which was held at his Abuja residence, Jonathan asked: "How can I be working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) when I am a front-line stakeholder and the father of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

The meeting was attended by state Governors of Abia (Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu); Oyo (Seyi Makinde); Ebonyi (Umahi); Sokoto (Hon. Aminu Tambuwal); Taraba (Arch. Darius Ishaku) and his Bauchi State counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed, as well as the Director General  of the PDP Governors’ Forum Earl Osaro Onaiwu,  represented the forum at the high-profile meeting.

Few days ago, there were insinuations in the social media that the former president had entered into an unholy alliance with the APC-led federal government to work together in the build-up to the November 16, 2019, governorship election in Bayelsa State, a narrative, which was described in some quarters as the handiwork of detractors.

However, last Friday's meeting has doused the perception, as palpable fear seemed to have once more gripped the opposition.

It is not clear whether the six governors facilitated the endorsement as it was perceived that Dickson blocked the aspiration of the nominee of a former governor in becoming the PDP governorship candidate in the November 16 governorship.

However, since the emergence of Douye, efforts have been made to receive the blessings and endorsement of the PDP candidate.

But when the PDP governors mobilised to meet Jonathan and seek his endorsement of Douye, the former president agreed to support his governorship ambition.

According to a governor who spoke to media in confidence, Jonathan was told of the need to support Douye notwithstanding any perceived grievances during the governorship primaries.

For instance, the governor said: "If the PDP is defeated, the report would be that Jonathan loses his state to the APC and not Dickson. Who is Dickson to Jonathan?

"We made it clear to him that his name and influence is at stake, and that he should do everything necessary to support Douye in the November 16 elections. 

"At the end, he said  as an elder and a party leader, he has no personal grievances against Douye or Dickson,” explaining that the feeling that he was having  problems with them was the brain child of some politicians who want to cash in on his humility and political lifestyle.

Jonathan pledged thereafter to use his influence as a leader in the state to campaign for Douye to win the election.