Jonathan, Dickson meet to regroup for governorship election

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees have held a meeting in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, in order to shore up support for the party ahead of the oncoming governorship election.

President Jonathan

Jonathan, along with the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, the acting BoT chairman, Dr. Bello Mohammed, and some leaders of the party met in the former President’s home on Saturday.

The leaders rejected the decision by the state chapter of the party to suspend and expel some party members over alleged party activities.

It was learnt that the meeting which held amidst tight security was peaceful.

Those in attendance at the meeting were Mohammed, the Secretary of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibril, a former Governor of Eboyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, Dr. Cairo Ojugboh and Senator Stella Omu.

Some loyalists of the sanctioned party leaders who included the embattled Chairman of the PDP in Bayelsa State, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd,) claimed that Dickson and a former governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and other party members were barred from attending the meeting due to their non-membership of the BoT.

But Dickson’s loyalists claimed it was not true and they insisted that Dickson was at the meeting from the beginning to the end.

They, however, said some aggrieved party members, including senators and former aides of the President were disallowed due to their alleged “unruly” posture.

They also said that the decision to upturn the sanctions of some members was influenced by Dickson’s disposition for peaceful resolution of the crisis.

It will be recalled that the disciplinary committee of the party had sanctioned some big guns of the party such as Senators Emmanuel Paulker, Nimi Amange, Ayakeme Whiskey, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, Waripamowei Dudafa, Ebikitin Diongoli and Mrs. Remi Kuku, among others.

Since their suspension and expulsion, mass defections had hit the PDP in the state.

This development has threatened the fortunes of the party in the coming governorship election.

It was learnt that Jonathan, worried by the stream of defections, intervened to put a halt to further defections by members.

Bayelsa State Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Godspower Keku, in a statement on Sunday, explained that the decision to overrule the suspension and expulsion of some members was taken in the best interest of the party, especially with a crucial election around the corner.

According to him, the decision to rescind the suspension and expulsion was taken on the request of Governor Seriake Dickson, who is the leader of the party in the state.

Jonathan, Dickson meet to regroup for governorship election