Bayelsa 2016: First Lady dumps Jonathan’s Aide…opts for suspended PDP Chair, Rejects Alaibe

There are indications on Monday night that the political camp of the First
Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has jettisoned its initial plan to replace
the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, with the Presidential
Assistant on Domestic Matters, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafa in the governorship
election scheduled for 2016.

Instead, the camp was said to have agreed to work for the emergence of the
suspended Chairman of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) Col. Sam Inokoba, as the party’s candidate for the 2016 governorship
election in the state.

Highly placed sources in the Presidency said the decision was taken in an
enlarged nocturnal meeting of the group that was held in Abuja on Sunday.

It was learnt that the meeting lasted for many hours as the PDP chieftains
in the camp took turns to map out strategies on how to frustrate the
second term ambition of Governor Dickson.

Sources said the meeting, which was held at the residence of a key
political figure in Abuja was attended by two serving senators and three
serving members of the House of Representatives. Also present at the
meeting were some former commissioners and aides in Dickson’s and former
Timipre Sylva’s administrations and key members of the Transformation
Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).

The First Lady was said to have decided to replace Dudafa with Inokoba
because he (Dudafa) was generally considered too young and lacked the
knowledge and experience to manage such a sensitive office. Dudafa and
Inokoba hail from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area in the Central
Senatorial District of the state.

It was learnt that before Inokoba was selected, other prominent
politicians from the district who had earlier indicated interests for the
position were also considered.

The former Chairman, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr.
Tebepah Terila and former Managing Director, NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe, were
said to have failed the evaluation test of the camp.

A source who attended the meeting but spoke in confidence said Tepepah
failed the test because members of the camp considered him selfish and
arrogant. He said when Alaibe’s name was mentioned, key members of the
group kicked against him because they believed he would never get the
backing of the President.

He said that the group was considering the central district because it is
the zone that has yet to produce a governor in the state. He said: “It is
generally believed that the next zone to produce governor is the Bayelsa
Central.

The west and east have all produced governors. It is remaining the central
part. “That is why Senator Emmanuel Paulker and the Petroleum Minister are
also nursing governorship ambitions since they are also from the Bayelsa
Central. Their argument is that apart from Kolokuma-Opokuma (Kolga), Epie
and Atisa which are part of Bayelsa Central deserve to be given a chance”.

He, however, said that the choice of Inokoba is not surprising since he is
believed to be close to the President.

“Inokoba is being rewarded for his role in acting as a mole in Dickson’s
government by leaking sensitive information to the camp of the First Lady.

“All the while, Inokoba too had secretly nursed the ambition to become
governor but was bidding his time until he saw an opportunity to work with
the camp of the First Lady.

“Following the choice of Inokoba, plans are underway to launch a series of
political onslaught against Dickson immediately after the President’s
election”, he said.

According to him one of such plans is to hijack the party machinery and to
make attempts to financially induce the executive members of the party.

He said executive members who failed to comply would stand the risk of
being framed for murder and corruption.

Already, Inokoba is warming up for the governorship race. A number of
pastors are said to be holding prayer meeting as part of the preparations
to herald the launch of the campaign.

“Inokoba was deadly in his approach to drive a wedge in the cosy
relationship existing between the President and the governor. He was
always frequenting the villa to inundate first family with tales about
Dickson and his government”, the source said.