The political tension in Bayelsa State has heightened following the flooding of major streets of Yenagoa with the governorship campaign posters of Presidential Assistant on Domestic Matters, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafagh.
Even though governorship election for Bayelsa State is about a year away, sources said that the emergence of the posters may not be unconnected with the thickening plot to stop Governor Seriake Dickson from getting a second term.
First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan has been accused of working against Dickson to ensure that Dudafagh, who is said to be her political godson, becomes the next governor.
Curiously, Dudafagh’s posters, which also bears the First Lady’s photograph, had logos of All Progressives’ Grand Alliance (APGA) suggesting that the presidential aide may defect to APGA.
Presidency sources said that Dudafagh’s governorship ambition is buoyed by the fact that a former occupant of his office, Senator Andy Uba, became governor of Anambra State.
It was also gathered that the choice of APGA may have been informed by the realization that it would be difficult for Dudafagh to break Dickson’s hold on the state PDP structure.
“The next viable option, for them, is All Progressives Congress (APC). However, this would be a very risky experiment as APC poses the strongest challenge yet to President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Any romance with APC would be interpreted as a backhand support to General Muhammadu Buhari, a man who is giving PDP sleepless nights. Any wonder they settled for APGA, a party that has endorsed Jonathan?” argued an official of Bayelsa PDP.
He added, “And it is now clear why several groups have been threatening to embarrass the First Lady in her husband’s state. While we do not support this, it is important for elders not to begin to behave like children.
“Dame Patience Jonathan has been so blessed with such an exalted office. It is wrong and embarrassingly degrading for her to keep poking her nose in the internal politics of her husband’s state, same way she is doing in Rivers State.
“The Bayelsa I know is different from Rivers. She can do anything in Rivers and get away with it. Governor Dickson has performed excellently well, and that is why we shall defend him from any external or internal forces,” vowed the official.
Dickson, who is not particularly considered the First Lady’s favourite, has managed to stay ahead of the political game in President Jonathan’s home state.
Recently, he charged a pro-Jonathan group, Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) to, instead of “preaching to the converted in Bayelsa,” carry their political gospel to northern states where the president has the strongest opposition.
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