…recruits TAN as propagandist vehicle
Despite repeated denials by that there is no crisis between Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and the Presidency, indications have emerged that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is preparing to launch a fresh onslaught against the Governor with a view to kicking him out of office and ensuring that he doesn’t return in the 2016 election.
The action called “Operation kick Governor Seriake Dickson out of office” is coming barely a few months after her resignation as a controversial Super Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State civil service.
Sources said that the First Lady will soon commence her campaign of either hounding Dickson out of office before the 2016 governorship poll in the state or denying him a re-election ticket.
Loading ...Intelligent Presidency sources said that the First Lady, as part of her strategies, had recruited the Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria (TAN), a campaign vehicle of her husband to drive the process.
Besides, Mrs. Jonathan was said to have consulted close associates and loyalists of the former Governor of Bayelsa state, Mr. Timipre Sylva, to lead TAN to the state.
But many elders and major stakeholders in the state said to have expressed anger with Mrs. Jonathan for plotting to destabilise the state with TAN.
The elders were said to have vowed to resist attempts by the First Lady to create Rivers State’s crisis in Bayelsa State.
It was learnt that the elders were making plans to report the development to President Jonathan through a high-powered delegation.
A source who is aware of the plot said the First Lady had already tinkered with the composition of TAN in the state and appointed a former Deputy Governor, Werinipre Seibarugu, to head the group for the new assignment.
Seibarugu, a known associate of the first lady, was a deputy governor under Sylva who a few months ago led other loyalists of Sylva back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was learnt that the leader of TAN in the state, Mr. Talford Ongolo, had been pushed aside to give way for Seibarugu.
The founder of TAN, Chief Ifeanyi Uba, attended one of the chaotic event organised by the First Lady in Yenagoa to inaugurate the distribution of relief materials to women in the state.
The source who pleaded anonymity said the strategy had been perfected adding that soon TAN and its co-travelers comprising mainly of Sylva loyalists would begin their propaganda.
He said Yenagoa and the entire state will soon witness unprecedented anti-Dickson’s rallies, movements and programmes.
He noted that the anti-Dickson activities targeted to undermine the administration of Governor Dickson will be held under police protection.
He said: “This is just the latest addition to the bag of strategies mapped out by the First Lady to deny remove Dickson. You remember that she influenced the posting of the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Valentine Ntomchukwu to the state for this reason.
“You recalled that she resigned her appointment as the permanent secretary to give her the moral ground to launch this war. Besides, you heard of her partnership with some federal lawmakers.
“Right now she has resolved that TAN should drive the process. She is working with the loyalists of former governor Sylva and they are coming under the guise of TAN to work against Dickson.
“That is her new strategy now. She wants to use the TAN structure which is everywhere to actualise her ambition”.
He said the First Lady had already promised her foot soldiers juicy rewards after a successful campaign.
“They are going to use TAN like a body to fight the government and they are going to engage in propaganda. It is the same thing that they are doing now, everything possible to rubbish the countryman governor, whose only offence is said to be his refusal to share the state’s meagre resources with her.
“Her number one agenda is to get him out of the way. She has promised them handsomely that once the mission is accomplished, they will be the major beneficiaries.
“A former deputy governor from the state has accepted to lead the campaign. The woman has ordered immediate change in the leadership of TAN in the state so that the former deputy governor will now be used as the arrowhead to begin the onslaught and the campaign against Dickson.
“Very soon you will see unprecedented rallies where people will be mobilised to stand against the governor. These activities will be held under police protection. Members of this group have huge war chests”, he said.
The source also said that already, Seibarugu had started playing a crucial role in the ongoing distribution of items belonging to the office of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“Seibarugu is the one handling the distribution of these items now. Even all the signatories for TAN bear Seibarugu’s name. Talford Ongolo has been pushed aside”, he said.
The source further said that the first lady had allegedly converted the MDGs as part of her pet project, Women for Change.
According to him Mrs. Jonathan distributes these items to people as though they came from her pet project.
“The first lady has converted the MDG programme as part of her personal NGO, Women for Change Iniative. When she goes round the states, she distributes these items as if they came from his pet project.
“But we know that the MDG is a federal government programme with the states as partners. But in all these, many Bayelsa elders and critical stakeholders in the polity who are aware of this scheme are angry with her over her plot to use TAN to fight the governor.
“Very soon, these elders will be meeting with the President to plead with him to call his wife to order.”
