Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday opened up on speculations about a political rift between him and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.
Gov. Dickson and Goodluck Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has offered reasons he would not be part of any plot against Governor Seraike Dickson, and insisted that he is at peace with the governor and would not wish for any form of political crisis to engulf the state.
He said this when Gov. Dickson paid him a condolence visit at his Otuoke home, over the death of the paramount ruler of Otuoke comminity, King Lot Justin Ogiasa.
Jonathan said, “Let me on behalf of the community thank you for making the visit, because of the relationship we have. You wanted to come immediately, but said it would be waste for the governor to come when the date for the burial has not been announced.
“For me politics is a very useless business; when I see the kind of things people write about me on the social media, I just laugh. For Bayelsa State, I feel sad because we are not many and we are not heterogeneous.
"It is a state that we also know ourselves. I have no reason to say that I am competing with the governor; by the grace of God, I became Deputy Governor, Governor and President. There is no way I can sit anywhere and plan anything against Bayelsa state or the governor.
“When I was dreaming of becoming Governor, Dickson was among the few in the meetings we were holding. He was not in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but he agreed to help it. He didn’t want to join the PDP, but I virtually forced him.
Jonathan recalled Dickson’s contribution to his political career and reiterated that there is no way he would break his political relationship with the governor.
“There is no way I can sit anywhere and plan evil against Bayelsa or the governor. When I was dreaming of becoming a governor, Dickson was among the very few in the meetings we held, although he was not in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he opted to help. He said he did not want to be in the PDP but I virtually forced him to join PDP.
“When I became governor, I appointed Dickson commissioner for Justice and attorney general and that was how he became a PDP member and later, became a member of House of Representatives and so on. There is no way I will break my relationship with the governor.”
The Governor who led a high-powered state delegation for the condolence said he was part of the Ogiasa family and by extension, the Otuoke community of Ogbia Local Government Area said;
“We are here in full force as we have always done to commiserate with you, my elder brother, leader and the Ogiasa family in this hour of bereavement. We pray God to grant the Ogiasa eternal repose”, Dickson said.
While dispelling rumour of any rift with the former president, the governor said in and out of office, Jonathan would continue to remain his leader, having come a long way with him.
He therefore called on those who want to cause imaginary differences between him and Jonathan to sink their plans.
“Both of us are not running for any office, so, I wonder why political jobbers are bent on destroying our good relationship.”
"My personal political story cannot be complete without talking about my elder brother, Jonathan. He also knows that I made little contribution that is recorded in the political chapter of his life”, the governor emphasised.