Toba Owojaiye reporting
A group of elders belonging to the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed their opposition to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged persistent efforts to secure the state’s ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu’s yet-to-be-formed cabinet.
The Bayelsa APC Elders Council, representing the stakeholders, accused Jonathan of seeking to produce a minister after actively supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the last general election.
Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, Chief Michael Adomokeme, the Chairman of the APC Elders Council in Bayelsa, criticized Jonathan for attempting to reap benefits without having contributed to the party’s growth. He compared the situation to someone trying to receive salaries from one company after working for another.
Adomokeme expressed confidence that President Tinubu, known for rewarding hard work, would not tolerate such unfairness. He questioned Jonathan’s sudden interest in nominating the minister from Bayelsa after serving as President for six years and having the opportunity to appoint numerous ministers.
The elders considered Jonathan’s actions as an aberration and undermining the office of the President of Nigeria. They urged him to focus on being a statesman and hero of democracy, rather than involving himself in political lobbying.
Responding to the allegations, Mr. Wealth Dickson, the Media Aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, refuted the claims, stating that the former President had no such plans.