First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan is set to meet with principal officers of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) to review the recent endorsement of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The meeting, reportedly at the instance of President Jonathan’s Special Assistant on Domestic Matters, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafa is on the heels of a botched attempt by TAN’s leg men to embarrass Dickson at the event.
Sources close to the meeting slated for Abuja hinted that ex-Bayelsa State governor and All Progressives’ Congress (APC) senatorial candidate, Timipre Sylva; Felix Oboro and Frank Akpoebi were billed to attend.
Oboro and Akpoebi were commissioners in the state.
The Abuja meeting, it was gathered, may have informed the postponement of Sylva’s campaign rally earlier fixed for Wednesday.
“Sylva decided to keep his rally on hold in order to see what the meeting will bring. You know he is madam’s candidate for the Senate. They want to meet and re-strategize before campaigning in Ogbia,” said the source.
He continued, “They complained of the re-deployment of Commissioner of Police Valentine Ntomchukwu. They are uncomfortable with Governor Dickson’s hold on the PDP structure in the state.”
“The anti-Dickson camp desperately want him out of office. The plot is to, first, block his candidates in the upcoming elections. This, in their thinking, will send a clear message that his time is up,” claimed the source.
Another source close to the proposed meeting said the event would hold on Wednesday and Thursday, and that Sylva would extract a commitment of support from the First Lady.
“With the APC candidate Sylva as senator, the calculation is that Dickson’s days as governor would be numbered,” declared the source.