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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders’ Council has slammed former President Goodluck Jonathan following his comment that he would have relocated his mother to Abuja if the APC had won the just-concluded election.
Jonathan, who raised concerned over security issues that would have ensued in the state of Governor Douye Diri had failed to win the poll, reportedly made the statement when he paid a congratulatory visit to the governor.
But the elders’ council while strongly condemning the comment in a statement signed on Sunday by its Secretary, Clarkson Ayebaepreye, described Jonathan as one facing “political midlife crises.
The APC elders said Jonathan chose to forget that the people of Bayelsa had been in economic and physical violence in the last three years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.
The statement read in part “In the issue of violence, Jonathan remembers things differently. Bayelsans have faced both physical and economic violence in the state than any other time during the last three years. It’s in the news, we the APC campaigned under a hail of violence’
They also drew attention to the case of violence being perpetrated in Nembe- Bassambiri until the IGP Kayode Egbetokun sent Policemen to restore sanity.
“Nembe-Bassambiri was overrun by state-inspired thugs until the IGP SWAT team moved in and restored order, a move the community rejoiced over and the Governor lamented over. We still remember how our Chieftains and supporters were attacked at will in Kolokuma-Opokuma local Government area. There were skirmishes across the state all these are documented. So what peace is Jonathan talking about?’
“Was APC in power when he, Jonathan’s uncle was kidnapped? Was APC or Sylva in power when his house at Otuoke was attacked by gunmen? Was APC and Sylva in power when his convoy was attacked? Was APC and Sylva in power when his kinsman Mike Ogiasa was kidnapped and dehumanized,“ it added.
They observed that though Jonathan continued to parade himself as a statesman, he was still neck-deep in politics with clear hatred for the APC.
“Jonathan cannot keep aiding and abetting violence and incompetence just to forward his confusing political ambitions. The only part of his politics that is clear is his personal hatred for the APC, a rookie party which upstaged him in 2015 as president’
“He should stop going around with the tag of a statesman, he is clearly neck-deep in politics. We have not forgotten that he supported Peter Obi over President Tinubu of the APC in the last presidential elections and just days to the Bayelsa State Gubernatorial elections he was hurriedly packaged to openly endorse Gov. Diri and the PDP.”
