A group in Bayelsa State known as The Save Ogbia Movement (SOM) is insisting that former President Goodluck Jonathan had together with his wife, Patience, worked against the interests of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general elections.

The group in a statement had said that the former President had despite benefitting immensely from PDP abandoned the candidates of the party especially in his own Ogbia Local Government Area and even the entire East Senatorial District at large during the last elections.

The statement which was signed by the Secretary of the group, Franklin Azibola James, pointed out that with just a few days to the election, the former President convened a meeting of his loyalists in the party at his home in Otuoke and told them to vote only for the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, but for other positions in the National and House of assembly elections, they should vote for candidates of their choice.

James complained that the disposition of Jonathan as well as his lack of contributions to the party made the elections very tough for the PDP and brought the ugly narrative of an opposition party winning his senatorial district.

He recalled that while serving as the President on the platform of the PDP, Jonathan failed to make contributions to the unite his party at home but allowed his presidential aides to sow seeds of discord, which almost destabilized Bayelsa.

James said that since he failed to attract any meaningful development to Bayelsa and his own local government, Jonathan was expected to return home and help the PDP to withstand the force of opposition.

He said: But this is far from the truth. Instead the former President has continued to promote his personal interest against the collective aspirations of the PDP. Whatever he is today was made possible by the PDP.

“As a poor creek boy, he rose to become a deputy governor, governor, Vice-President and President on the platform of the PDP. It is unimaginable that a man that had risen to prominence, will turn around to work against the same platform that supported him.

“The last election is a case study. Instead supporting his party, our former president worked for the candidates of the ADC. We can no longer keep quiet. I mean how long will we continue to cover up for the anti-PDP posture of Jonathan at his home state?

“We are still disappointed at his outing at the Presidency. He squandered a glorious opportunity to develop Bayelsa, his home state. He couldn’t even complete the East-West Road. In fact, Bayelsa section of the road had remained deplorable. He couldn’t construct roads in our own Ogbia local government area.

“Anybody that visits Ogbia will never believe that we once produced the President. We tried to swallow all of these unforgivable shortcomings. But the one that we can’t tolerate is working against the interests of PDP in elections”.

James gave the former President an advice, telling him to let go of his personal interests and work with the party leadership in the state as a demonstration of gratitude to the PDP.

“Jonathan should work with the state leadership of the PDP to promote the general interests of the party in the state. He has benefited so much in the party that his name should not be mentioned in any activity against PDP”, James said.

But the media aide to the ex-President, Ikechukwu Eze, has in a recent statement said that there was no truth in the claim that Jonathan was engaging in anti-party activities.

He said: “It is manifestly dishonest, deceitful and preposterous for anybody to suggest that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is working against the interest of the party under which he rose to occupy the highest office in the land.”

(The Nation)

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