Following what the Ijaw nation described as a calculated attempt by the former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido to rubbish their son, former President Goodluck Jonathan, with blackmail, the people have cautioned Lamido to leave their son alone.
Speaking exclusively to Sunday Sun, leader of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), Comrade Joseph Evah, said that the Ijaw nation is not happy with the comments of Lamido on Jonathan in a recent interview, saying that it was targeted to “blackmail, malign, rubbish and bring to ridicule the image of our distinguished son.”
He, therefore, urged Lamido to carry his cross alone rather than tarnish the image of Jonathan, who he said acquitted himself creditably while serving the country as president.
Sule had in an interview blamed the former president of sabotaging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship election in his state, Bayelsa, linking it to the Malabo oil problem which Jonathan encouraged an out-of-court settlement during his tenure.
Consequently, Evah who spoke on behalf of his people said that Lamido’s outburst was childish and ill-motivated, advising the former governor to face his travails rather than “attempting to soil the personality of Jonathan who refused to enrich himself by corrupt means.
“The Ijaw people are tell- ing Lamido that his outburst against Jonathan over Malabo issue is childish, Jonathan as the executive president has the power to direct a matter to be settled out of court, just like Buhari has the power to tell Northern governors to negotiate with bandits, criminals and drop their charges as long as they are ready to repent.
“So, he was an executive president and has the right to say that a matter that has been dragging, that about three or four heads of state were involved before he took over should be settled out-of-court instead of foot-dragging. No-body is bringing any charges against Jonathan for giving out Executive Order.
“We know where the annoyance of Lamido is coming from. Lamido and his son are facing the EFCC fire so he felt that Jonathan is supposed to come and clear him because the alleged crime was committed during Jonathan’s period and Lamido as governor.
“What happened in Bayelsa is not about PDP or the APC, it is about the Ijaw nation, it has nothing to do with the PDP or APC. It is just like the situation of Agbalajobi and Sarumi in those days, where Lagosians felt that Agbalajobi should be the flag bearer of their party, but Sarumi who had a connection in Abuja decided to suppress Agbalajobi and the people gave a protest vote to Otedola.
“So, in our case, the leaders and elders of Bayelsa, both the opposition party and the ruling party preferred the former Managing Director of NDDC (Timi Alaibe) and this governor (Seriaki Dickson) arrogantly denied him the ticket so the whole of Bayelsa people voted against the candidate he brought. What happened has nothing to do with Jonathan as a person being denied, it was the Ijaw nation that decided”.
