meeting she had with the state PDP leaders at the
Presidential Villa in Abuja nine days ago.
It was learnt on Sunday night that some of the leaders in
attendance were another former governor of the state,
Adebayo Alao-Akala; the Minister of State for the Federal
Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide; a former Senate Leader,
Sen. Teslim Folarin, and Chief Yekini Adeojo.
Ladoja, a former member of the PDP and now the National
Leader of the Accord Party, is nursing a governorship
ambition. He was also present at the villa meeting.
A PDP source, who attended the meeting disclosed to
revealed that most of those in attendance were stunned
when the President's wife suggested that Ladoja should be
supported to realise his ambition.
He added that they did not only kick against her proposal ,
they also rejected her suggestion to share party offices in
the state with Ladjola.
The source said, "The President's wife asked that we should
accommodate someone who is not a member of the party.
How do we do this?
"She was tactically telling us to support his governorship
ambition because she was saying she knew that Ladoja has
the capacity to win election and defeat the All Progressives
Congress in the state.
"But we disagreed and told her so. That was what happened,
but she promised to convey another meeting soon where
the issue would be further discussed.
"But I can tell you that we are not pleased with her activities
in our party. We don't understand where she derives the
power to interfere in running of the PDP. In fact, most of us
may not attend any other meeting summoned by her
because she is not our leader.
She should keep off because if we field a wrong person, we
may not defeat the APC in our state during the governorship
election."
Alao-Akala said it was true that the meeting with the First
Lady was held, but he said he was not asked to step down
for Ladoja.
He told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday
night that the First Lady merely asked them to
"accommodate" Ladoja in the PDP.
The former governor also confirmed that majority of those
in attendance disagreed with Mrs Jonathan on the grounds
that Ladoja had yet to dump the AP for the PDP.
Alao-Akala said, "Yes, it is true that the First Lady met us. But
she didn't ask me to step down. She said we should
accommodate Ladoja in our party and we said it would be
difficult to do so because he is not a member of the PDP.
That was what happened."
A Media Assistant to the President's wife, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi,
however said he was not aware of the meeting.
Ladoja's media aide, Lanre Latinwo, had said in a statement
that his boss was not on his way to joining any party.
"Accord party in Oyo State remains one united entity and will
continue to grow in leaps and bounds due to the sincerity of
leaders of the party and the genuine love of the people.
"We urge members of the party and the general public to
disregard the insinuation in all its entirety asserting that the
Accord Party at the moment is not involved in any alliance
talk."
A member of the NWC who, also spoke on condition of
anonymity said, "We appreciate her concern for the party,
but she's over doing it.
"We will appreciate it if she can stay off our party affairs. Her
actions are making some members to feel that she's
controling her husband and all that."
Mrs. Jonathan is known to be rooting for a former Minister
of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike and ex-Diamond
Bank Managing Director, Alex Otti, for the PDP tickets in
Rivers and Abia states respectively.
Some of the PDP leaders in the two states, who did not want
their names in print, warned that if her activities were not
checked, the PDP might not win the states.
Mrs. Jonathan described Wike as a listening and respectful
politician who obeyed her when she asked him to drop his
senatorial aspiration in 2011.
"You listened to me and dropped your senatorial aspiration.
I pray God to protect you, lead you. Please go on with your
aspiration, " Mrs Jonathan had said when she visited the
former minister in Abuja five days ago.
"I have handed you (Wike) over to our father, Dr. Peter Odili,
and the people of Rivers State. You are going to Rivers State
for the betterment of all of us and to wipe our tears," she
added.
After her speech, she symbolically handed Wike over to
Odili, who was part of her entourage.
Speaking on the endorsement in Abuja on Monday, another
PDP governorship aspirant, Mr. Tamunosisi Jaja, said though
as a native of the state, Mrs. Jonathan had the right to
endorse anyone. But he added that such aspirant needed
the blessing of God.
He said, "I wouldn't want to react to that endorsement by
Dame Jonathan, who incidentally, by the Grace of God, is the
First Lady and is an indigene of Rivers State.
"By virtue of the fact that she's from Rivers State, she has
every right to express her support for anybody.
"But of utmost importance to any seeker of public office is
the fact that the most important endorsement is the
endorsement of the Almighty God.
"As a Christian, my Bible tells me power comes from God
and when God says yes, no one can say no.
"I think that what we are praying for is the Grace of God and
even whoever she has endorsed needs the Grace of God,
that's the most important thing."
A PDP chieftain in the state, who pleaded not to be named
for fear of victimisation, said the endorsement of Wike by
Mrs Jonathan was a personal thing.
"She has only expressed her personal desire. But I am
worried, just like my colleagues who are not speaking out
that she should not get directly involved in our party affairs.
Her activities are not good for our party. They may have a
boomerang effect on our performance in the governorship
race.
"I know that our national leadership are also worried by her
meddlesomeness."
In Abia, Mrs Jonathan is said to be rooting for the former
Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti,
while the governor of the state Chief Theodore Orji prefers
Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
"Her support was what made the man (Oti) to resign from
his lucrative job, " a source close to the President's wife
claimed.
He however feared that a clash between Orji and Mrs
Jonathan over who would fly the PDP governorship flag in
the state could give an edge to opposition parties in the
state like the APC and the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Otti, who was at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja
on Monday where he bought his nomination form, has said
he would create a Ministry for Aba Affairs to transform the
popular Aba market.
Source: informationnigeria
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