An ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Waripamowei Dudafa has debunked recent media reports that he had been directed by Dame Patience Jonathan to work for Gov. Dickson’ re-election.
Dudafa, who served as Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Matters, in a statement Thursday in Yenagoa, described the reports which was carried by some national dailies as false and misleading.
The statement which was signed by Hon. Gesiye Isowo, a former commissioner in the state on behalf of Dr. Dudafa, said the reports were mischievous and meant to score cheap political gains.
“The attention of Dr. Waripamowei Dudafa, former Senior Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Domestic and Social Matters has been drawn to a story making the rounds in the print and electronic media.
“The story is concerning a decision said to have been taken by Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan to support the second term bid of Governor Seriake Dickson.
“In the media story, it was reported that Hon. Dudaf was consequently directed to work for re-election of Governor Dickson in the coming guber elections in the state.
“It would ordinarily not have been necessary to react to this story but for the fact that silence could easily be interpreted as lending credence to the story, which in the end may impinge on Dr. Dudafa’s integrity”, he noted.
The statement said that there was no truth in the claim that the former first lady directed Dr. Dudafa to work for the re-election of Gov. Dickson, stressing that opposition to the return of Dickson as governor of Bayelsa was not directed by anybody.
“So therefore, the issue of his (Dudafa) been directed to act otherwise cannot arise”, the statement said.
It further said that Dudafa had last May 27, issued a press statement in which he stated clearly that if the PDP field Gov. Dickson as their candidate for the Bayelsa governorship election, the party would lose woefully at polls.
According to the statement, Dudafa’s position on the above subject matter has not changed because of what it called the Dickson’s administration failure in all facets of development in the state.
“Consequently, it cannot be the case that Dr. Dudafa will be directed or accept to be directed to work for Dickson’s reelection. This is purely a matter of principle and nothing else.
“Dr. Dudafa therefore, called on his teeming supporters, friends and colleagues to disregard the purported media reports and urged them to remain steadfast in the task to unseat Governor Dickson”, it stated.