Dame Patience Shuns Dickson at Jonathan’s birthday

Dame Patience Jonathan Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, avoided the Bayelsa State delegation, led by Governor Seriake Dickson, who came to celebrate with the President on his 57th birthday in Abuja on Thursday.

Governor Seriake Dickson

There has been no love lost between the governor and the President’s wife over an alleged plan by Mrs. Jonathan to stop Dickson from being re-elected as the state governor.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Thursday that Bayelsa state senators and members of the House of Representatives at the National Assembly had joined forces with the First Lady against Dickson.

The report had it that the federal legislators had formed a strong alliance to counter the moves by the governor and his loyalists to re-elect them in the 2015, through zoning, allegedly arranged by Dickson.
The report added that the aggrieved lawmakers had backed the moves by Mrs. Jonathan to replace Dickson with her loyalists in 2016.

The President’s wife who attended the first event to mark her husband’s birthday earlier in the day was obviously absent during the visit of the Bayelsa delegation about two hours after.
Jonathan, however played down his wife’s absence while thanking members of the delegation for the visit.

He simply said his wife “left” without disclosing her whereabouts.
“On behalf of my wife who just left, I sincerely thank you the governor, the government and our traditional rulers and our brothers and sisters from the state who have done this,” he simply said.
Dickson who had earlier told Jonathan that the delegation was in the Presidential Villa to show their solidarity, support and love to him on his birthday.

He also said contrary to reports, Bayelsa State was united, stable and peaceful.
The governor later told State House correspondents that he would not dignify those claiming that there is a rift between him and the President with a response.

The birthday was marked with a short holy-communion service inside the President’s official residence at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The service was officiated by his Chaplain, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba.
The President was later  joined by his wife, Patience, and his mother, Eunice, to cut his birthday cake.