A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to beware of making careless statements that are capable of undermining his public image.
Nabena said in an interview with newsmen that the statement credited to the former President regarding the capacity of the APC in Bayelsa state was uncalled for, as the performance of the party in the last general election was there for all to see.
Nabena who is also the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC said the former President who he described as ‘a push and start President’ never won any election even in his home state of Bayelsa.
He was reacting to a media report credited to the former President describing the APC in Bayelsa state as a party that lacked political presence at the ward, local government and state levels to win the state governorship election slated for November 16.
According to him, former President Jonathan has never contested any election and won, even that of 2015 he contested as a sitting president he lost woefully, adding that the recent 2019 senatorial election in Bayelsa state APC defeated Jonathan’s candidate in his Senatorial district.
He said: “Jonathan is attempting to rewrite history on presidential elections conducted under his watch in Bayelsa state while he was president. He never won as votes never counted. Aided by security agents, election results were simply announced by the election body in favour of the PDP.
“Former President Goodluck Jonathan even lost in his senatorial zone in the last 2019 National Assembly election won by the APC candidate. So one wonders the party Jonathan refers to as not being on ground in Bayelsa state.”
Nabena accused the PDP and the outgoing Bayelsa state governor Seriake Dickson of plotting to use state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo, to rig the forthcoming Bayelsa governorship election as was done in the 2019 General Elections.
“The media will recall that under Governor Seriake Dickson’s watch, 63 Smart Card Readers belonging to INEC were stolen and later retrieved. Also, I had earlier called on the Inspector General of Police to proscribe the state-controlled security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo following security reports indicating that the state government was plotting violence by flooding the state with arms ahead of the 2019 polls. That threat is still active as Bayelsa state prepares for the governorship election.
“It is clear that no amount of falsehood and rigging can stop PDP’s imminent defeat in the forthcoming governorship election. The PDP has become very unpopular and stands rejected in Bayelsa state”, he said.