2015: Why Patience Jonathan Endorsed Dickson – Ogiasa

Engr Mike Ogiasa, is a political loyalist and kinsman of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He served in various capacities in the administration of former Bayelsa governor, Timipre Sylva, including as commissioner. In this interview with OSA Okhomina, he gives an insight into the unfolding affair between Governor Seriake Dickson and former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan
What is your assessment of the political situation in the state presently?
Well, we are entering into another political era. The electioneering will soon hot up. There are alignments and realignments. One thing you see in politics is that the politician you see today in one particular party for one reason or the other, may appear in another camp the next day, depending on the circumstances. Those are the alignments and realignments that you are beginning to see now. In no distant time, political activities will hot up. The governorship election is not a small matter.
How do you see the emergence of your former boss, Sylva, on the political scene with the APC, and the gale of defections from the PDP to APC? Do you think the realignments will have a strong bearing on the outcome of the election?
On a personal note, former governor Sylva was my boss and a friend. I must confess that I was not happy with the way he was thrown out of office because I was very loyal to him but that is history. For now, my good friend, Sylva, I think, may be coming out as the governorship candidate of the APC. My relationship with him still continues as a Bayelsan because we are from the same senatorial district. I have worked under him, so, he is still my friend. But for my own personal reason, being loyal to Bayelsa State, I don’t think this time I might support a candidate under APC. Perhaps, if Timipre Sylva had been in the PDP, he might have gotten my support, but for now, he is coming under the APC, and I don’t think I will support an APC agenda. For me, I am not an APC man, secondly, I maintain that Bayelsa is not an APC state. Every region is always sympathetic to a particular political party.
It seems Governor Dickson has positioned himself as the PDP governorship flagbearer. Has the party decided on its candidate?
Well, I don’t know who the party will choose as its flag bearer. There will definitely be primaries and I don’t know who will emerge. However, I know as a PDP man, and because I am in support of my state, we are remaining a PDP state for obvious reasons. If you ask me those reasons, I will tell you.
What are the reasons?
For obvious reasons, I will prefer Governor Seriake Dickson to continue. The mere reason is that he is the man that I know is well equipped to deliver the election into the hands of the PDP.
This election is beyond Governor Dickson. It’s about our own identity as Bayelsans and as people who are from the South-south. That is why Dickson, no matter what, is going to lead us safely. He has done it before and he is going to do it again. We must ensure that PDP is in control of Bayelsa State not because of Dickson but for the interest of the people. Those who are defecting from the PDP are the same recycled persons; people who have been speakers, commissioners, people who have been in power, and for the only time that power is not with them, they are running to where they think power will come. This election is for our own integrity. That is why I am solidly behind Dickson because the election is not about any individual; it’s about the people of Bayelsa.
You are talking of identity in Bayelsa, but it seems the people are divided along interest lines. For instance, Mrs Jonathan appears to be against Governor Dickson, don’t you think that may give an edge to the opposition?
In politics, there is unity in diversity. People can disagree to agree. It was not a hidden fact that Governor Dickson was at loggerheads with the wife of the former president. Nobody can dispute that because we are not blind. So, it is also true that Mrs Patience, by our own human reason, would not have supported Dickson, but I told you earlier that this is a matter that is beyond Dickson’s election. Mrs Jonathan comes from Bayelsa as well as Rivers State and she knows what it took the Rivers man to maintain the PDP leadership in the state. So, she cannot, because of Dickson, now want Bayelsa State to be under the leadership of APC. I know her very well. She can suppress any anger she has against any person to do the right thing. As I am talking to you, I want to believe that she is a typical PDP lady and will never vote for the APC. I don’t know who she is supporting, because I have not spoken to her but I know she will never vote APC against the PDP. If anybody emerges from the primary in the PDP, Mrs Jonathan will support that person and if Dickson emerges as the flag-bearer, I am 100 per cent sure she is going to give him her full support.