President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience, has arrived Okrika, her birthplace, for the Governorship/House of Assembly elections. Though she was expected to have been in Otuoke with her husband, Jonathan, to vote in the House of Assembly election, Mrs. Jonathan, in order to possibly force the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to rig the governorship election in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Mr. Ezebuwon Nyesom Wike, Mrs. Jonathan moved to Okrika to be in-charge of proceedings. It was gathered that the outgoing First Lady will carry out some undemocratic activities in Okrika all in the bid to secure ‘victory’ for the PDP.
Mrs. Jonathan, who had been in Port Harcourt in the last 3 days, was ferried into Okrika today at about 3.37pm(local time) in her helicopter. Soon after she arrived Okrika, Mrs. Jonathan called for a meeting of the largest Okrika families, demanding undiluted obedience from them. During the March 28 Presidential/National Assembly elections, Mrs. Jonathan had commissioned a local town-crier to disseminate her fiat that whoever voted for any party not PDP, would receive heavy penalty. Ex-militants, most likely following her directives, sacked several families of All Progressives Congress, APC, even as they inflicted degrees of injuries on other parties’ members.
Those who dared to express their freedom of choice at the polls were whipped with canes by ex-militants supervised by the First Lady’s loyalists.
Mrs. Jonathan, “doing her last dance”, in the words of an Okrika source, is reported to have taken steps to capture every vote in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo respectively. Also, she is billed “for a lot of dirty jobs. From here, Mrs. Jonathan will move to the INEC office in Port Harcourt to supervise collation and the declaration of results”.
I Am For Peaceful,Free, Fair And Credible Elections-Dame Patience Jonathan
The First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan has dismissed the allegation that she was pressurising the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Security Agencies to rig tomorrow’s (April 11, 2015) elections in Rivers State
A statement by Ihuoma Priscilla ,director of information, Office of the First Lady said on Friday “As an Apostle of Peace and non-violent elections, the First Lady distances herself from any alleged actions that could hinder successful elections in Nigeria, especially in her home state, Rivers State.
Mrs Jonathan countered the insinuations that she was in her home town, Okrika for the purpose of the Governorship election, pointing out that she registered in her husband, President Jonathan’s village, Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The statement said “The First Lady who is highly respected indigene of Okrika in Rivers State visited her home town on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 to a tumultuous welcome by her kinsmen and women who throng the streets to welcome and appreciate her wonderful support to her husband, the President and for bringing development to Okrikaland.
The office of the First Lady “recalled that Governor Amaechi of Rivers State was reported to have insinuated that the First Lady is in Okrika to influence tomorrow’s(Saturday’s) election in Rivers State.”
