Former President Goodluck Jonathan Endorses Senator Diri Duoye

Nigeria’s former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has endorsed the ambition of the Bayelsa State PDP candidate in the November 16 governorship election, Senator Diri Duoye, to succeed the incumbent Governor of the State, Hon. Seriake Dickson.

The endorsement, which came at the weekend, was a huge boost after the former President emerged from a closed-door meeting with governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

At the meeting which was held at his Abuja residence, Jonathan asked, “How can I be working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) when I am a frontline stakeholder and the father of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

The meeting was attended by State Governors of Abia (Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu); Oyo (Seyi Makinde); Ebonyi (Umahi); Sokoto (Hon. Aminu Tambuwal); Taraba (Arch. Darius Ishaku) and his Bauchi State counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed, as well as the Director General of the PDP Governors’ Forum Earl Osaro Onaiwu, represented the forum at the high-profile meeting.

Few days ago, there were insinuations in the social media that the former President had entered into an unholy alliance with the APC-led federal government to work together in the build-up to the November 16, 2019, governorship election in Bayelsa State, a narrative, which was described in some quarters as the handiwork of detractors.

However, last weekend’s meeting has doused the perception, as palpable fear seemed to have once more gripped the opposition.

It is not clear whether the six Governors facilitated the endorsement as it was perceived that Dickson blocked the aspiration of the nominee of a former governor in becoming the PDP governorship candidate in the November 16 governorship. However, since the emergence of Douye, efforts have been made to receive the blessings and endorsement of the PDP candidate. But when the PDP governors mobilised to meet Jonathan and seek his endorsement of Douye, the former President agreed to support his governorship ambition.