Former President Goodluck Jonathan has come under scathing criticism over his comment that he would have relocated his mother to the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja if Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had won the Bayelsa state November 11, governorship poll.
Governor Douye Diri, the incumbent and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won the election.
But on Sunday, the APC Deputy governorship candidate in the just-concluded poll in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua Maciver, took exception to Jonathan’s outburst and his partisan endorsement of Diri in spite of his statesmanship.
Maciver in a statement, said: “It is with a deep sense of concern and sadness that I, Great Joshua MacIver, deputy governorship candidate of the APC in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State, address the endorsement of Governor Douye Diri by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“In a manner that departs from the expected statesmanship, I find it disheartening that Jonathan, in a state where his role should be father like and non-partisan to all candidates, has chosen to endorse a specific individual, during a political season.
“Furthermore, I express my reservations regarding the former President’s statement about the planned relocation of his mother to Abuja had Governor Douye Diri lost the governorship election. This public speech, openly demarketing Bayelsa State as unsafe and insecure, is a sentiment that should not be voiced by someone of his stature.
“Sadly, Jonathan’s recent action has made him lose the respect of all true followers of the former Minister of State Petroleum Resources and APC governorship candidate in the last election, Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva.”
He urged Jonathan as a statesman to be wary and conscious of his utterances at all time and to avoid a situation whereby people would begin to question his statesmanship and integrity as a former leader and father of all, irrespective of political leanings.
Also, the APC governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, berated Jonathan over his comment on the outcome of the just-concluded governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Sylva described Jonathan’s comment on the election as unfortunate.
Reacting, Sylva wondered if the remark was made by the former president.
Recounting a comment by Wole Soyinka, Sylva said a hippopotamus can’t be taken out of a swamp.
Posting on X, Sylva wrote: “Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement is unfortunate. I sincerely hope he was misquoted.
“Let me just quote our respected Wole Soyinka: “you can take the hippopotamus out of the swamp but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.”
