PDP dismisses Jonathan, Dickson’s rift

Former President Goodluck Jonathan

The Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed reports of a brewing rift
between former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Bayelsa State
Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

The Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator
Ahmed Makarfi, disclosed this while receiving the members of executive of
the state chapter of the party in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said he arrived at this conclusion after his communication with both
 Jonathan and Dickson, adding that the alleged rift was the imagination of those
 he described as mischievous elements, who, he said, were out to create crisis
 for the party in Bayelsa State.

Makarfi, however, warned the leadership of the party in the state against
dancing to the tune of mischief makers to avoid generating problems in the
party.

He said, “Don’t allow yourselves to be fragmented by rumour. Your
executive has been ratified by the convention and that is final. There is no need
to pander to rumour of an impending sack of the exco.

“Immediately the rumour broke out, the former President called me to dismiss
 that rumour and he said there was no iota of truth in the said petition
against the Bayesla executive.”

In his speech, the Chairman of the Bayelsa chapter of the PDP, Mr. Mose Cleopas, said Jonathan remained a respected leader.

He also said there was nothing to suggest that Jonathan, who is also a former
governor of the state, was fomenting crisis in the party as being alleged.

He said, “The former President is a respected national leader and we have
been holding him in high esteem in Bayelsa as our father.

“The governor is our leader in the state and the two of them have been relating well. There is no feud between Jonathan and Dickson. I can confirm. Some people are just
 envious of the peace in the Bayelsa PDP.”

There were media reports last week that some PDP stalwarts in Bayelsa
State alleged that Jonathan was making moves to hijack the party in the state
 in order to win back the presidency in 2019.

The report further alleged that the ex-President was desperate to install the
next governor in the state, senators and House of Representatives’ members
from the state, in order to gain control at the centre.

In order to achieve his aims, the former President was alleged to have included Bayelsa State on the list of seven states whose state executive committees of the party
were slated for dissolution by the caretaker committee.