Jonathan, wife, PDP Governors for Dickson’s 2nd term declaration

Ondo State governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Dr.
Olusegun Mimiko, will lead 12 other governors to attend the formal
declaration of Bayelsa State governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, for a
second term in office on Tuesday, September 8.

It was learnt that activities for the event have reached its peak in
Yenagoa, the state capital.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience
Jonathan, will also grace the event as their first public appearance
since they left office in May.

Sources said, the governors who are mainly those of the PDP
extraction, will arrive in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Monday
September 7 to hold a crucial meeting of the PDP Governors scheduled
to take place in the Government House.

The meeting will precede the formal declaration where some
far-reaching decisions are expected to be taken not only about the
current situation in the party as it repositions for the future but
also on the common agenda for the governor’s declaration and success
of his campaign.

Already, the Director-General of the PDP Governors Forum, Earl Osaro
Onaiwo, has been sighted at the Government House in Yenagoa on Sunday
where he is holding meeting with key government officials to finalise
arrangements for the PDP governors’ meeting on Monday.

“From the look of things, the PDP governors are set to storm Yenagoa
in full force. You know Bayelsa State holds a lot of significance for
the PDP as a political party. It is not just a state to be retained
but you will also realize that it is the home state of the former
President Goodluck Jonathan. So there is so much at stake and they are
determined to make the governor’s declaration a show of its own. I
think the PDP governors want to send out a strong signal of their
readiness to keep Bayelsa firmly in the grip of the PDP and as such
their presence will be felt on Tuesday in Yenagoa”, said the source.

However, another source hinted on Sunday that it was still not clear
if Dame Patience Jonathan will be at the event but pointed out that
both the former First Lady and her husband were fully behind the
re-election of the governor.

Activities at the headquarters of the Restoration Campaign
Organization, the governor’s campaign body, in Opolo area of the state
capital were also in top gear on Sunday as officials said they were
ready for the campaign.

An official at the campaign office, Samuel Beke, said all arrangements
have been concluded to begin a state-wide campaign and confident that
Dickson will be re-elected.

According to him, the thrust of the campaign would be the “great
achievements” of the governor and the need for continuity.