First Lady, Patience Jonathan is set to
play the godmother of governors in at least three states: Bauchi, Bayelsa and
Rivers. Sources disclosed that the wife of the president has positioned
her favourites to clinch the tickets of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in the states ahead of the 2015 election. That of Bayelsa, however, is
scheduled for 2016.
In Rivers
State, Patience Jonathan is said to be working to ensure that the governorship
candidate of the PDP emerged from one of the riverine local government areas of
the state, possibly Okrika.
By
implication, the Supervising Minister for Education, Nyesom Wike, who had had a
running battle with Governor Rotimi Amaechi, apparently in the hope of getting
the party’s ticket for 2015, may well consider himself out of the race.
A highly
placed source in the know of the calculations revealed that the president’s
wife has not hidden her desire to have someone from the riverine area, govern
the state for the first time.
“She has
withdrawn her initial support for the bid of supervising minister of education
Mr Nyesom Wike to succeed Amaechi at Brick House, Port Harcourt in 2015.
But you know this is politics; much as she might want to have her kinsman as
governor, some persons have also reminded her that an Okrika man, Ada George,
had been governor before. So, in the alternative, she might go for the
executive director of finance and administration of the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC), Dr Henry Ogiri, who is also from the riverine but not
Kalabari or Okrika but Abua/Odual,” he said.
It was
gathered that the plot had leaked to Wike, who was said to have been jolted and
livid that he had been dumped after he was used to fight his kinsman and
benefactor, Governor Rotimi Amaechi. It was
learnt that the latest calculation informed the reluctance of Wike to resign
his appointment and formally declare his intention to contest the governorship
election. It was
obvious that the powers that be had sent the signal to Wike, as an ex-militant
commander and a kinsman of the first lady, Chief Tom Ateke, indicated interest
in the governorship election. Posters of the former militant leader saturated
major roads and streets of the state capital last week.
Findings
showed that although Tom Ateke was not the choice of the first lady, he was
being drafted to fly the kite and gauge opinions of the stakeholders in the
state.
“The
first lady has changed the game plan,” the source said. “Tom Ateke is certainly
the John the Baptist, a forerunner. The main man would soon be unmasked, but
what is sure is that the first lady has made up her mind to give the PDP
governorship slot in 2015 to her people.
“The
calculation is that if a riverine man is not made governor now that their
in-law is the president, then, it might be a foreclosed chapter for them.”
Neither
Wike nor Ateke took calls nor replied to text messages sent to their cell phones
on the subject matter.
Not
oblivious of the challenges and ripple effects the latest move might have on
the party, some elders of the PDP in Rivers State over the weekend warned
against ethnicising the party’s governorship ticket.
In a
release, signed by Chief Ferdinand Alabraba and Chief Maxwell Tasie Amadi on
behalf of the group, the elders frowned at a situation where people were
fanning the embers of ethnicity in their jostling for the gubernatorial slot in
the state, adding that it could become divisive and detrimental to the unity of
the party in the state.
The
elders warned that although PDP remains the preferred party in the state, the
threat to party unity as a result of parochial sentiments arising from ethnic
group campaigns and endorsements for the governorship could not be ignored or
underestimated.
The
Bayelsa scenario is also interesting in many respects. Findings showed that the
wife of the president has positioned the Special Assistant (Domestic Matters)
in the Presidency, Dr Waripomowei Dudafa, to succeed Governor Seriake Dickson
in the 2016 election in the state, a development that has been generating
suppressed ripples in the home state of President Jonathan.
Dudafa, a
former member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who also served as
Special Adviser and Commissioner in the administrations of Jonathan and Timipre
Sylva in the state, is regarded as “a son of the first lady”.
He was a
personal aide to the first lady before he was upgraded as SA (domestic matters)
in the Presidency.
Although,
it is gathered that Dudafa has not formally declared his intention to run for
the highest political office in the state, clandestine moves to project him had
commenced in the state barely a year ago.
Dudafa is
also reported to be making efforts to gain upper hand and control of the
structure of the ruling party in the state.
It was
learnt that as the plot by the first lady to draft Dudafa into the 2016
governorship race thickens, Governor Seriake Dickson is also not oblivious of
the development and has commenced moves to consolidate himself in power.
The
governor was said to have embarked on strategies to dislodge some loyalists of
the first lady and close associates of Jonathan in the power equation ahead of
the 2016 governorship election.
It was
gathered that the governor was apprehensive that the first lady had recruited
some associates and friends of her husband, some of whom were notable
politicians in the state, to dislodge him from power.
To this
end, political observers interpreted the recent cabinet re-jig in which Dickson
sacked seven commissioners as part of the bold moves to whittle down the
influence of the president and his wife as well as their surrogates in the
politics of the state.
As a
signal that he was not prepared to tolerate any mole in his cabinet, Dickson
fired two appointees of the first lady — Dudafa Gesiye Isowo, commissioner for
special duties in charge of federal projects; and Dr Sylvanus Abila,
commissioner for environment.
Also,
three others — Barrister Francis Egele, former justice commissioner and
attorney-genera,l and his colleagues in the tourism development and health
ministries, Mr Nelson Belief and Anapurere Michaeal Awoli, respectively — who
were nominated by an associate of President Jonathan, King A.J. Turner, were
shown the way out of the cabinet.
Turner, a
traditional ruler, is the chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission
(UBEC) and was a principal factor in the installation of Governor Dickson.
The sack
of the ex-commissioner for science, technology and manpower, Mr Parkinson
MacManuel, has a bearing with his relationship with Chief Dikivie Ikhiogha, the
chief of staff, Abuja Liaison, another associate of Jonathan.
A top
politician in the state said: “Governor Seriake Dickson is already aware of the
moves by the first lady to deny him a second term ticket by drafting Dr
Waripomowei Dudafa to take over from him in 2016. The threat to Dickson’s job
is real because the presidential aide is like a son to the first lady and you
don’t expect the governor to fold his hands and watch helplessly.
“As a
strong member of the political camp of the wife of the president, Dudafa is
considered a threat and anyone seen as his loyalist is an enemy to the present
administration in the state. So, the governor is carefully removing the moles
around him and establishing and asserting himself strongly in the politics of
the state ahead of 2016.”
But
Dickson’s chief press secretary, Mr Daniel Markson-Iworiso, said the sack of
the commissioners had no link with the re-election of his boss in 2016, adding
that it was due to the ongoing re-organisation of government ministries,
departments and agencies for a more optimal implementation of the Restoration
Agenda.
He said
there was no iota of truth that his boss had a frosty relationship with the
first family to warrant his being denied a second term in office.
“All
these are stories peddled by those who want a crack in the relationship between
the governor and the first family; they have looked for so many opportunities
to create friction but it has not worked; so this is one of the strategies they
are adopting. So please, ignore all such stories; they are lies,” Markson said
on telephone.
In
Bauchi, although there is no incumbent seeking re-election, Mrs Jonathan’s
desire to crown a serving minister as the next governor of Bauchi State might
clash with the interest of Governor Isa Yuguda.
Yuguda’s
joker for the governorship is his in-law, Dr Musa Babayo.
But
findings showed that the first lady had scheduled the said minister to take
over from Yuguga in 2015 by securing the nod of relevant stakeholders in the
state in favour of her choice.
In the
ensuring permutations, the position of the PDP national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu,
who until lately was not in good terms with Governor Yuguda, has remained hazy.
Although
the minister in question has not resigned his portfolio to enable him join the
governorship race, it was gathered that he is likely to throw in the towel at
the end of ongoing consultations being spearheaded by the first lady.
“The
first lady is confident that her choice will scale the hurdles and she asked
the minister to wait till the appropriate time before quitting the Federal
Executive Council (FEC),” added the source. “The first lady has never hidden
her relationship and likeness for the FCT minister and his entire family. You
can recall that she was one of the few high-profile personalities who paid a
condolence visit to the minister when he was bereaved recently.”
Source: LEADERSHIP
NEWSPAPERS
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