The group which placed the blame on the doorsteps of egotistic politicians stated that the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has cleared Dr. Jonathan of all the accusations ofscheming to hand over control of the party structures in the state to his cronies.In a statement issued by ILM National Cordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Ever, the group emphasized that the party’s caretaker committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi revealed on Tuesday in Abuja how the former President had been striving to protect the same executive committee that was falsely accusing him of interference.
The statement said: “When we read some sponsored fake and faceless publications last week, claiming that former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was scheming to dissolve and take over the structure of the People’s Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, we chose to ignore them because we knew they were plain lies.
“We are happy that the party’s national leadership has finally vindicated the peace loving former President. This came to the fore on Tuesday when the party’s caretaker committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi cautioned the visiting Bayelsa Executive committee
members, who had raised the false alarm, to avoid mischief and rumours, and work for the good of the party in the state.
“We saw shock in their faces when Makarfi bluntly told them that it was even the former President who, on being alerted of a petition by some vested interests for the dissolution of the state Exco, called and counseled him to ignore such petitions.
“Before then the purveyors of this sick narrative had been circulating all manner of fabrications and lies supplied to them by their pay masters, against the former President. Since we are not politicians, we however do not begrudge them this ignoble route they have chosen for themselves, in the bid to earn a meal ticket.
“But we were worried that true sons of Ijaw Nation could throw caution to the wind, flip their conscience out of the window, and reconcile themselves to circulating barefaced unflattering lies against the only man in the entire Niger Delta to have become President.
But we are rather worried that this nation has hit this low in hagiography and shadow writing. Otherwise, how will any right thinking Nigerian or Bayelsan ever entertain the thought that the former President would return to the state from his respectable position as the national leader of the party, to begin to drag control of the state structures with anybody?
“Let us even assume without conceding that Jonathan had strangely developed interest in retreating from his God-ordained prominence at the national level and returned to Bayelsa to become a local champion, as they claimed. Which route would have been easier in such
situation, for a man of his status?
“Is it by surreptitiously sponsoring anonymous petitions to the party leadership as they mischievously alleged, or directly engaging the party’s national officers, some of who were even his ministers, to achieve whatever end they claim he wanted?
But this is even at best a needless hypothesis. We are convinced that those apparently running scared of even their own shadows, know, just as we do, that Dr. Jonathan, after being Governor of Bayelsa and serving as both the Vice President and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has no other ambition in Bayelsa State.
“These people, in the bid to whip up sentiment against Dr. Jonathan,
also claimed that his aim was to seize the state platform as a
launch-pad for a yet to be declared 2019 presidential ambition. If
not for the momentary warped pleasure of mischief, would anybody even
be talking about this, since it is clear to all loyal PDP members that
the party has zoned the next presidential ticket away from Jonathan’s
south south zone, to the north?
“We believe that Dr. Jonathan is actually not bothered by all these
baseless and nonsensical allegations, given the way he has ignored
them. Our worry is that those who sponsor and selfishly seek to
benefit from this sick script do not care about the dangerous threat
their sinister plot poses to peace and security in Niger Delta and
Bayelsa State. We believe this consideration must have been
responsible for Dr. Jonathan’s avuncular disposition. As a peace
advocate who goes around the globe to preach and galvanize world
communities to peace and progress, Dr Jonathan is fully aware of the
danger that lurks in the shadows, whenever some soulless politicians
deceive and mobilize the youths for the wrong reasons.
“We have recent examples in the Niger Delta where such wrong-headed
mobilisation and incitement had led to massive destruction of
properties and even loss of lives. We note with pride that Dr.
Jonathan has maintained a dignified silence despite all the lies his
enemies have been heaping on his head. We see that as the height of
statesmanship.
“As the national leader of the party and a well celebrated man of
peace, we have no doubt in our minds, that Dr. Jonathan will not join
issues with those hired hands and their puppeteers, no matter the
level of provocation. We will continue to celebrate him as our
democracy icon and the pride of Ijaw nation, because we believe he had
served the nation diligently, in good conscience, to the best of his
abilities.
“In the interest of peace, we enjoin the former President’s misguided
traducers to retrace their steps from the wrong route of bitter
politics, and join hands with other well meaning compatriots, to work
for the Peace and progress, not only of Bayelsa, but of the entire
country.”
