Patience Jonathan stay away from our activities

Some PDP leaders in Oyo State have kicked against a request by Patience, the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, for a former governor of the state, Rashidi Ladoja, to be “accommodated” in the PDP.

Mrs. Jonathan was said to have made the request during a meeting she had with the state PDP leaders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja nine days ago.

Some of leaders of the party in attendance were ex-governor Adebayo Alao-Akala; the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide; a former Senate Leader, Sen. Teslim Folarin, and Chief Yekini Adeojo.

Ladoja, a former member of PDP and now National Leader of Accord Party, is nursing a guber ambition. He was also present at the villa meeting.

A PDP source, who attended the meeting told PUNCH that most of those in attendance were stunned when the President’s wife suggested that Ladoja should be supported to realise his ambition.

The source said, “The President’s wife asked that we should accommodate someone who is not a member of the party. How do we do this?

“She was tactically telling us to support his governorship ambition because she was saying she knew that Ladoja has the capacity to win election and defeat the All Progressives Congress in the state.

“But we disagreed and told her so. That was what happened, but she promised to convey another meeting soon where the issue would be further discussed.

“But I can tell you that we are not pleased with her activities in our party. We don’t understand where she derives the power to interfere in running of the PDP. In fact, most of us may not attend any other meeting summoned by her because she is not our leader. She should keep off because if we field a wrong person, we may not defeat the APC in our state during the governorship election.”

You may wish to know that Patience is also ensuring that Nyesom Wike takes the PDP ticker in Rivers.