APC Campaign Council: Jonathan can’t hijack Balyelsa’s ministerial slot

The Bayelsa Chapter of the Tinubu/Shettima  Independent Campaign Council (ICC) on Sunday allayed fears of the impending hijack of Bayelsa’s ministerial slot by politicians who do not belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The support group assured members of the APC in the state that former President Goodluck Jonathan would not be allowed to nominate Bayelsa’s ministerial candidate.

The ICC said it was inconceivable for Jonathan, who is one of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to nominate the state’s representative in the cabinet of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The ICC’s reaction is the sequel to the tension generated in the party by reports suggesting that Jonathan was making attempts to hijack the Bayelsa’s ministerial slot.

The report elicited concerns amongst APC stakeholders in the state, including members of the influential APC Elders’ Forum, which vehemently condemned the move. The ICC, in a statement issued in Yenagoa by its Director, of Administration, Chief Joseph Fafi, appealed to party members who were angry at the report to calm down.

Fafi, who described Tinubu as a thorough person who rewards loyalty, insisted that there was no way such injustice and unfairness would be allowed under the current president. Fafi, a former Chairman of APC in Bayelsa, said:  “At this point, everyone needs to calm down. Tinubu is a thorough person and is known to always reward loyalty.

Fafi said that Tinubu understood that APC Bayelsa was preparing for a major election and would make appointments to strengthen the party and not empower any PDP mole.

Meanwhile, Jonathan who had met frequently with Tinubu has denied lobbying to nominate a minister for Bayelsa. In a statement by his spokesman, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, the erstwhile president said that his recent meetings with President Tinubu had nothing to do with Bayelsa politics but his role as ECOWAS envoy.

According to Eze, Jonathan’s visits to Aso Rock Villa were to brief the president on developments in the ECOWAS subregion. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Bayelsa is among the states their ministerial nominees have yet to be submitted to the senate for screening and confirmation.