Bayelsa State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders have opposed former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged move to nominate a candidate for a ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
The stakeholders, represented by the Bayelsa APC Elders Council, condemned what they perceive as an unjust move by Jonathan, stating that he should not reap where he did not sow.
Speaking during a press conference held in Yenagoa on Tuesday, the chairman of the Bayelsa APC Elders Council, Michael Adomokeme, criticized Jonathan’s actions and questioned the former president’s motivations.
Adomokeme reminded the public that Jonathan had actively and openly supported the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the 2023 presidential election.
Therefore, his current efforts to secure a ministerial position within the APC government were seen as conflicting and unfair.
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“People shouldn’t try to reap where they have never sowed,” Adomokeme asserted, highlighting the dedication of longstanding APC members who had faced criticism in the early days of the party.
He further accused Jonathan and his supporters of previously labeling the APC in Bayelsa as either an “Islamic party” or a “Hausa party.”
Adomokeme questioned the ex-president’s intentions, stating that during his six-year tenure, Jonathan had the opportunity to nominate several ministers.
Therefore, his sudden interest in securing the sole ministerial position designated for Bayelsa State was met with suspicion.
The stakeholders worried that this move might compromise the party’s chances of victory in the upcoming November elections.
“It is even an aberration and very demeaning for a former President to go cap-in-hand begging for a single ministerial slot,” Adomokeme said, emphasizing that such actions diminished the prestige of the office of the President of Nigeria.