…opts for suspended PDP chairman
…inaugurates fresh campaign against Dickson after presidential election
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 central district was being considered by the group 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.
