Jonathan defends decision to support Diri for second term

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has defended his decision to back Douye Diri, the incumbent governor of Bayelsa, for another term in the November 2023 election.

Jonathan made this remark on Tuesday when he hosted Diri and his delegation at his home in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Diri, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emerged victorious in the election, securing 175,196 votes against his main rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 110,108 votes.

Jonathan praised Diri for his achievements in enhancing the security situation in the state, saying that he had curbed the menace of cultism in Bayelsa.

“I did what l did during the governorship election and l have no apologies to anybody because l know that the governor and his team were doing very well, especially in the area of peace and stability of the state,” he said.

”At a time, I became very worried. I have not said others did not do well. After all, l was also governor for a little less than one and a half years and also had my challenges.

“Since Diri came on board, the excesses of cult groups, particularly in Yenagoa, has reduced reasonably.

“If we must move forward, we must handle the issue of security in order to attract investors.

“I saw that the governor and his team have a vision and he needed to be encouraged to do another four-year term.”

Diri, in his response, thanked Jonathan for his endorsement, saying that it was worth more than money.

“Your endorsement of a sitting governor was more than billions of naira. And so having secured that endorsement, we were very sure of victory,” Diri said.

“With the kind of peace and security we have in our state, Bayelsa is ready for private investors to come in.”

Jonathan served as the deputy governor of Bayelsa from 1999 to 2005 and as the governor from 2005 to 2007.

He had earlier said that he would have moved his mother to Abuja, the federal capital, if Diri had lost the election.

He had also claimed that the level of cultism and kidnapping had dropped significantly from what it was during Sylva’s tenure.