A Niger Delta rights group, the Ijaw Liberation Movement (ILM) has warned those attacking former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan for selfish reasons to desist from it or face the wrath of the entire Niger Delta people.
The group, which placed the blame on the doorsteps of egotistic politicians, stated that the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cleared Jonathan of all the accusations of scheming to hand over control of the party structures in Bayelsa State to his cronies.
In a statement by ILM National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Ever, last Wednesday, the group emphasised that the party’s National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi revealed last Tuesday in Abuja how the former President had been striving to protect the same executive committee that was falsely accusing him of interference.
Makarfi said, “When we read some sponsored fake and faceless publications last week, claiming that former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was scheming to dissolve and take over the structure of the People’s Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, we chose to ignore them because we knew they were plain lies.
“We are happy that the party’s national leadership has finally vindicated the peace-loving former president. This came to the fore on Tuesday when the party’s caretaker committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi cautioned the visiting Bayelsa Executive Committee members, who had raised the false alarm, to avoid mischief and rumours, and work for the good of the party in the state.
“We saw shock on their faces when Makarfi bluntly told them that it was even the former President who, on being alerted of a petition by some vested interests for the dissolution of the state executive, called and counselled him to ignore such petitions.
Before then, the purveyors of this sick narrative had been circulating all manner of fabrications and lies supplied to them by their pay masters, against the former president. Since we are not politicians, we however do not begrudge them this ignoble route they have chosen for themselves, in the bid to earn a meal ticket.
“But we were worried that true sons of Ijaw nation could throw caution to the wind, flip their conscience out of the window, and reconcile themselves to circulating barefaced unflattering lies against the only man in the entire Niger Delta to have become President.
“But we are rather worried that this nation has hit this low in hagiography and shadow writing. Otherwise, how will any right thinking Nigerian or Bayelsan ever entertain the thought that the former president would return to the state from his respectable position as the national leader of the party, to begin to drag control of the state structures with anybody?
“Let us even assume without conceding that Jonathan had strangely developed interest in retreating from his God-ordained prominence at the national level and returned to Bayelsa to become a local champion, as they claimed. Which route would have been easier in such situation, for a man of his status?
“Is it by surreptitiously sponsoring anonymous petitions to the party leadership as they mischievously alleged, or directly engaging the party’s national officers, some of who were even his ministers, to achieve whatever end they claim he wanted?
“But this is even at best a needless hypothesis. We are convinced that those apparently running scared of even their own shadows, know, just as we do, that Jonathan, after being Governor of Bayelsa and serving as both the Vice President and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has no other ambition in Bayelsa State.
“These people, in the bid to whip up sentiment against Jonathan, also claimed that his aim was to seize the state platform as a launch-pad for a yet to be declared 2019 presidential ambition. If not for the momentary warped pleasure of mischief, would anybody even be talking about this, since it is clear to all loyal PDP members that the party has zoned the next presidential ticket away from Jonathan’s South-South zone, to the north?
“We believe that Jonathan is actually not bothered by all these baseless and nonsensical allegations, given the way he has ignored them”.
“Our worry is that those who sponsor and selfishly seek to benefit from this sick script do not care about the dangerous threat their sinister plot poses to peace and security in Niger Delta and Bayelsa State. We believe this consideration must have been responsible for Dr. Jonathan’s avuncular disposition.
“As a peace advocate who goes around the globe to preach and galvanize world communities to peace and progress, Jonathan is fully aware of the danger that lurks in the shadows, whenever some soulless politicians deceive and mobilize the youths for the wrong reasons.
“We have recent examples in the Niger Delta where such wrong-headed mobilisation and incitement had led to massive destruction of properties and even loss of lives. We note with pride that Jonathan has maintained a dignified silence despite all the lies his enemies have been heaping on his head. We see that as the height of statesmanship.
“As the national leader of the party and a well celebrated man of peace, we have no doubt in our minds, that Jonathan will not join issues with those hired hands and their puppeteers, no matter the level of provocation.
“We will continue to celebrate him as our democracy icon and the pride of Ijaw nation, because we believe he had served the nation diligently, in good conscience, to the best of his abilities.
“In the interest of peace, we enjoin the former President’s misguided traducers to retrace their steps from the wrong route of bitter politics, and join hands with other well meaning compatriots, to work for the Peace and progress, not only of Bayelsa, but of the entire country,” Makarfi added.