The over bearing attitude of the former First Lady of the Federation Mrs Patience Jonathan in publicly making dissenting political comments, is raising concerns in Bayelsa State amongst the PDP leaders as her actions threaten the unity and cohesion of the party in the state.
There has never been any constitutional dispute as to who the leader of the party is in the state as the tradition has always been that any sitting Governor for which His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri currently is, remains the leader of the party in the state.
This position has never been contested by anyone or group as it has been the PDP tradition known by all right from time.
Therefore, for the former First Lady in her remark at the 5th year anniversary of the Prosperity Government to repeatedly say to the Governor that he is the leader of the party, suggests that there is rancor and division in the party which is not.
A similar character was displayed by the former First Lady in Rivers State during the ternure of the former Governor and now Minister of the FCT, Barr Nyesom Wike and today, we all know what their once cordial relationship has evolved into.
If there is anywhere this statement by the former First Lady is needed, it is obviously not in Bayelsa state as she is only a Bayelsan by marriage not by birth and therefore ought to esteem that status rather than bring dishonour to it.
Other former First Ladies like Mrs, Abacha and Mrs Buhari have maintained self respect and honour after their husbands left office so one may now begin to wonder what else does Mrs Jonathan still needs in a state after her husband served as president for six years?
It is still very fresh in the minds of Bayelsans how Mrs Patience Jonathan publicly endorsed an APC candidate against Gov Douye Diri during the 2019 governorship election and Bayelsans also know how that relationship ended as
there is a history of the relationship between herself and anyone she politically supports, ending in conflict.
It is therefore worthy of mention that it is more honorable for Mrs Patience Jonathan to soberly play a more motherly role in the state than to insist on this current dance of shame as her continued trespassing in the political matters of the PDP and even Bayelsa State as a whole statement could only be described as the beating of the drums of acrimony.
The right place to beat drum is your paternal state, where His Excellency wike and Gov Fubara are battling the control of the party and state leadership, not bayelsa state where such disputes are not, except mrs patience Jonathan is nursing one without the knowledge of the governor Douye diri..
By Doutimiye Oruakan
Sangana , Brass Local Government Area.
About Author
