- The PDP questions the APC’s misappropriation of Jonathan’s comment in an election involving 16 parties, questioning whether it was directed at the party or its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.
- Jonathan expressed concerns over security issues in the state if Diri had not won the poll after being declared winner.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of Bayelsa has come under fire from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state chapter for criticising former President Goodluck Jonathan for remarks he made during a personal visit to Governor Douye Diri last Friday.
In a statement released on Monday, November 20, PDP state press secretary Ebiye Ogoli charged that the APC had misrepresented the former president’s remarks to vent its resentment following the state’s November 11, 2023, governorship election loss.
Ogoli said: “For clarity, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan while congratulating the Governor during the visit, had said: ‘I told myself that if Diri loses this election, I might consider moving my mother to Abuja’.”
The PDP spokesman, therefore, wondered how in an election contested by candidates of 16 political parties, the APC had to misconstrue Jonathan’s comment as if it was directed at the party or its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Ogoli stated: “For emphasis, the former President never mentioned the APC or its candidate throughout the course of the visit.
“Since his forthright comment appeared in the media, the APC and its array of faceless, contemptible, lick-spittle groups have been inconsolable, acting like a forcefully weaned baby.
“Placed in proper context, Dr. Jonathan’s comment alluded to and reflected the peace, security and stability that Bayelsa State has witnessed under the Governor Diri administration, which is a fact generally acknowledged by residents of the state.
“The Bayelsa APC so-called leaders and groups, who are actually lackeys of the party’s governorship candidate, continue to make themselves a laughing stock for their intemperate and disrespectful tirades against Nigeria’s icon of democracy.
“If anyone is suffering any sort of frustration or mental crisis, it is the Bayelsa APC and its candidate that are yet to come to terms with the shellacking they got on November 11.
“We advise them to lick their wound with some decorum and not misdirect their anger towards an innocent statesman who spoke truth from his heart.
“Even beyond Bayelsa, the violent character and disposition of the Bayelsa APC leaders and their candidates in the last election is well-known and documented.”
He said that if Bayelsans had any fear, it was that the state might return to the infamous days of Famou Tangbe, cultism, cult wars and attacks on political opponents, etc. if Governor Diri was not re-elected.
Ogoli added: “So, the electorate was not only determined to protect their votes but to also ensure that the governor was returned to Creek Haven. The final result was the true reflection of the mindset of Bayelsans and what they indeed wanted. The outpouring of celebration and congratulatory messages equally confirmed this. We wonder why Sylva and his cohorts quarrel with this truth.
“Our party again uses this opportunity to appreciate former President Jonathan for his gracious endorsement and unflinching support for our candidate as well as the Bayelsa people for standing solidly behind the PDP and the Prosperity Administration.”