After saying that he would have moved his mother to Abuja if Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) candidate for governor, had won the Bayelsa State governorship election on November 11, 2023, former president Goodluck Jonathan has been under fire.
The state APC Elders Council and Joshua Maciver, the APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the recently concluded Bayelsa State election, were said to have expressed shock and dismay at Jonathan’s remarks, citing that Jonathan’s partisan support of Governor Douye Diri despite his statesmanship was unacceptable. Thisday reported on their reactions.
Joshua Maciver said that in a manner that departs from the expected statesmanship, he finds it disheartening that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in a state where his role should be father like and non-partisan to all candidates, has chosen to endorse a specific candidate during the just concluded election.
Furthermore, he expressed his reservations regarding Jonathan’s statement about the planned relocation of his mother to Abuja had Governor Diri lost the governorship election due to insecurity, claiming that the public speech openly portrayed Bayelsa State as unsafe and insecure.
Also, the APC Elders Council strongly criticized former President Goodluck Jonathan, for raising concerns about potential security issues in Bayelsa State if Governor Douye Diri had failed to win the poll. In a statement that was published by its Secretary, Clarkson Ayebaepreye, the elders’ council condemned Jonathan’s comment, describing him as facing “political midlife crises.”
While they were expressing dismay at Jonathan’s actions, the council pointed out that no former President should reduce himself to such standard.
The statement reads, “Nembe-Bassambiri was overrun by state-inspired thugs until the IGP SWAT team moved in and restored order, a move the community rejoiced over and the Governor lamented over.
Was APC in power when he, Jonathan’s uncle was kidnapped ? Was APC or Sylva in power when his house at Otuoke was attacked by gunmen? Was APC and Sylva in power when his convoy was attacked ? Was APC and Sylva in power when his kinsman Mike Ogiasa was kidnapped and dehumanized ?”
