BY Taiwo George
Two weeks after he relived two of his aides of their jobs over alleged loyalty to Patience Jonathan, Nigeria’s first lady, Seriake Dickson, the governor of Bayelsa state, has placed a ban on the rallies by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and similar groups in the state.
Though Dickson claimed that the decision was influenced by plans “to inject fresh blood into his cabinet”, sources said the rift between him and Patience Jonathan was the real reason behind the action.
TAN has been in the front line of the campaign for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, but Dickson banned the group and other support groups canvassing for Jonathan’s second term.
The governor has not been seen in any of the eight states that Jonathan has visited since flagging off his re-election on January 6.
Lagos, Enugu, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Abia and Ebonyi are the states where Jonathan’s campaign train has been to.
At the flag-off of the rally in Lagos, Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom and chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, had accused his colleagues who stayed away from the event of pursuing a selfish agenda.
“Any of the PDP governors who is not here today is absent because of his selfish interest,” he said.
However, Daniel Iwariso-Markson, Dickson’s chief press secretary, issued a statement alleging that the groups were banned because they were fostering division in the state.
“Those claiming to be campaigning for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan but are instead engaged in promoting subversive activities and inciting crisis and division within the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, should move their activities elsewhere,” the statement read.
The governor maintained that the PDP was in charge of the state, urging the people to work in the interest of the party.
Dickson fell out with Patience Jonathan for opposing his re-election bid and supporting Waripamowei Dudafa, the special assistant to the president on domestic matters.
Jonathan’s campaign train is scheduled to visit Bayelsa on February 5.
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