STRONG indications emerged yesterday that the embattled governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, moved the fight for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the state gubernatorial election to where President Goodluck Jonathan was scheduled to attend the wedding of his brother. But the president was absent at the ceremony. The Presidency attributed the absence to security challenges.
NEWSMEN gathered that having used the south south governors on Friday to help cajole the president to endorsing him as the candidate of the PDP in the 2012 poll as well as his name cleared among others, and no clear result, Sylva had to travel to the state to play the role of a chief host if that could at least change the mind of the president.
It was also gathered that the acting national chairman of PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, the acting national secretary, Musa Babayo, and some members of the National Working Committee, NWC, may not travel out of Abuja for the Sallah celebrations to enable them attend to issues that may arise over the Bayelsa gubernatorial primaries.
Sources at the Yenagoa wedding, yesterday, said Jonathan’s absence was tactical to ward off pressure being mounted on him over the PDP governorship ticket.
They opined that the president’s change of mind might not be unconnected with the envisaged pressure that prominent political and traditional rulers from the state might use the opportunity of his visit to put on him to allow Sylva participate in the party’s primaries holding on November 19.
Only on Friday, efforts by South South Governors _ Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, Cross River, Liyel Imoke and Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi failed to sway Jonathan to endorse the governor for the gubernatorial primaries.
The president had been scheduled to attend the wedding with his wife, Patience (she had arrived Yenagoa on Friday), who was the Mother of the Day at the reception.
Chief Dieprieye Alamiyeseigha, the state’s former governor, chaired the reception.
Members of his advance team were already in the state capital waiting
to receive the president yesterday morning before they received the news early that he would no longer attend the ceremony.
The president was represented at the wedding by his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadome. Oghiadome flew into the state capital in the same helicopter with Sylva and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Bala Muhammed, among other dignitaries.
NEWSMEN gathered that having used the south south governors on Friday to help cajole the president to endorsing him as the candidate of the PDP in the 2012 poll as well as his name cleared among others, and no clear result, Sylva had to travel to the state to play the role of a chief host if that could at least change the mind of the president.
It was also gathered that the acting national chairman of PDP, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, the acting national secretary, Musa Babayo, and some members of the National Working Committee, NWC, may not travel out of Abuja for the Sallah celebrations to enable them attend to issues that may arise over the Bayelsa gubernatorial primaries.
Sources at the Yenagoa wedding, yesterday, said Jonathan’s absence was tactical to ward off pressure being mounted on him over the PDP governorship ticket.
They opined that the president’s change of mind might not be unconnected with the envisaged pressure that prominent political and traditional rulers from the state might use the opportunity of his visit to put on him to allow Sylva participate in the party’s primaries holding on November 19.
Only on Friday, efforts by South South Governors _ Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, Cross River, Liyel Imoke and Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi failed to sway Jonathan to endorse the governor for the gubernatorial primaries.
The president had been scheduled to attend the wedding with his wife, Patience (she had arrived Yenagoa on Friday), who was the Mother of the Day at the reception.
Chief Dieprieye Alamiyeseigha, the state’s former governor, chaired the reception.
Members of his advance team were already in the state capital waiting
to receive the president yesterday morning before they received the news early that he would no longer attend the ceremony.
The president was represented at the wedding by his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadome. Oghiadome flew into the state capital in the same helicopter with Sylva and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Bala Muhammed, among other dignitaries.
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