Bayelsa: Plot To Suspend Jonathan Thickens

Clash With Dickson Gets Messy

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP Bayelsa state governorship election loss was a terrible hit on the party which has ruled the state for close to 20 years.

It was also a big slap on former President Goodluck whose party, PDP ruled the state since 1999, after Nigeria returned to civil rule.

Nothing can be more devastating for Governor Seriake Dickson who did everything in ensuring that his cousin succeeded him as governor.

Jonathan and Dickson once threw banters as political allies but are now exchanging jabs as a result of the monumental loss to their party.

But the magazine learned that the dispute could get bad because “the governor could use his influence in Bayelsa PDP to suspend Jonathan from the party,” a source close to the ex-president said.

The state PDP is currently under the beck and call of the governor, another source said.

David Lyon, the APC candidate trounced his counterpart in the PDP, Douye Diri in the fiercely contested election on November 16.

While the party had yet to come to terms with reality that it has lost the state to the APC, it will also take a long time for the contending gladiators to reconcile their differences which led to the loss of the oil rich state to rampaging APC.

Aftermath of the election, Governor Dickson had blamed those he said worked against the interests of the party for its loss.

One of his detractors, the governor said, is former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The ex-president had yet to respond to the allegation.

But it was very clear that the former president did not support Lyon for the election.

His preferred candidate for the election is Timi Alaibe, a former managing director, Niger Delta Development Corporation, NDDC.

While Governor Dickson and his supporters have not relented on their blame on Jonathan for tactfully helping the opponents to capture the state, other PDP stalwarts have also joined the fray in putting the blame at the door steps of the ex-leader.

The latest is former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state who has now taken sides with those blaming Jonathan for Diri’s  and PDP loss.

In a recent Facebook post sent by his media aide, Mansur Ahmed, the former governor claimed that Jonathan supported the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC candidate in order to avoid probe in the famous Malabu oil scam.

“And finally compromising Bayelsa State with the Malabo oil 1billion Dollar scam for his freedom!,”  Lamido said in the post.

Details of Malabu Oil Scam

Malabu Oil Deal The Malabu oil scandal involved the transfer of about $1.1 billion by Shell and ENI through the Nigerian government to accounts controlled by a former Nigerian petroleum minister, Dan Etete.

About half the money ($520 million) went to accounts of companies controlled by Aliyu Abubakar, popularly known in Nigeria as the owner of AA oil, suspected to be fronting for top officials of government and Shell and ENI collaborators. According to a PREMIUM TIMES report, the transaction was authorised in 2011 by Mr Jonathan through some of his cabinet ministers and the money was payment for OPL 245, one of Nigeria’s richest oil blocs.

Although Shell and ENI initially claimed they did not know the money would end up with Mr Etete and his cronies, evidence has shown that claim to be false.

Shell, Eni, Mr Etete, Mr Aliyu and several officials of the oil firms are being prosecuted in Italy for their roles in the scandal.

A British judge had also said she was convinced the ‘fortunato’ referenced in various OPL 245 mails referred to ex-President Jonathan.

Meanwhile, some close aides of the former president told the magazine that Jonathan cannot be held responsible over what transpired in the Bayelsa governorship election.

They blame the irreconcilable differences among the state’s PDP chieftains for the loss that the party suffered.