Bayelsa guber: Dame Jonathan backs Sylva, tells loyalists to work against Dickson

As Bayelsans prepare for the December 5 governorship election, there are indications that the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, is backing the governorship ambition of Chief Timipre Sylva, the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State.
Sylva, who is standing trial on multiple corruption charges, wants to contest the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a meeting convened by Dame Jonathan last Monday at her palatial hotel in Otuoke, the former First Lady read the riot act to members of her group not to support the re-election of the incumbent governor, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson.
She directed them to support Sylva’s aspiration.
When some of the people at the meeting raised observation as to the practicality and feasibility of working for Sylva when the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had openly declared support for Dickson, Dame Jonathan urged the group to leave her husband for her to handle, adding that “nothing will make my husband support Dickson when the chips are down”.
The meeting was well attended by members of her group. Amongst those in attendance are former acting governor of the state and chairman of the defunct Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) in Bayelsa State, Hon Werinipre Seibarugu, Dr.Weripamowei Dudafa, former presidential aide to the immediate past president and Commissioner for Local Government under Sylva, former Commissioners for Transport and Sports, Mrs. Marie Ebikake and Hon Ebikitin Diongoli respectively, a female politician, Mrs. Remi Kuku and a host of others.
Those who attended the meeting initially thought Dame Jonathan wanted to sell the candidature of her godson and former presidential aide, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafa.
They were surprised when she told them to support Sylva, who was removed from office in 2012 allegedly on the orders of Jonathan.