First Lady Kicks off Re-election Campaign for Jonathan

• Amaechi, others absent from Mrs. Jonathan's programme

• Cleric urges president to recall wife from Rivers


Ernest Chinwo

The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, has used her stay in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital to seek the support of traditional rulers for President Goodluck Jonathan in his undeclared bid for re-election in 2015.

Jonathan’s undeclared second term bid has been one of the issues fingered as the source of the friction between the state Governor, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, and the president.

It is also believed that contrary to the statement from the presidency that the first lady’s visit has nothing to do with the frosty relationship between Amaechi and Jonathan, the long visit to her home state was being used to solicit support for her husband, just as she was said to have held some clandestine meetings with some anti-Amaechi groups in the state.

Mrs. Jonathan yesterday visited the palace of the Nye-nwe-eli Rumueme Kingdom, Eze Omunakwe Nsirim, where she solicited the support of the traditional ruler and people of Obio/Akpor for her husband in the 2015 presidential election.

She also inaugurated the South-south zonal secretariat of the Women for Change and Development Initiative, her pet project, and event that was boycotted by the governor, his wife and other top government officials from the state.

Mrs. Jonathan, at the palace, expressed appreciation for the support Jonathan got from the area in the last election and said such support should be repeated in 2015 to ensure his re-election.

“I am here to thank and appreciate the role you and my people of Rivers State played in voting for my husband in the 2011 presidential election. Rivers people voted massively for my husband. I am your daughter and my husband is your son. I want you to support him when the time comes. I know you will not disappoint us. We, on our part, will never forget you,” she said.

She also called on the people to maintain peace and harmony and obey the laws of the land in all their endeavours.

Responding, Nsirim assured Mrs. Jonathan of the massive support of Rivers people for Jonathan in the quest for re-election in 2015.

The traditional ruler, who is also the father of the suspended chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Timothy Nsirim, said anybody from the state, who is opposed to Jonathan’s second tenure did not have the interest of the people at heart.
He also described those opposed to Jonathan as people who wished to sell the state to the north.

“No Rivers man should join those who want to sell Rivers State to the north because we know that they do not have the interest of our people at heart,” he added.

However, Amaechi and his wife, Judith, yesterday shunned the inauguration of the South-south zonal secretariat of the Women for Change and Development Initiative.
Also, other top government officials in the state were absent at the event, which took place in Port Harcourt.

A source in Mrs. Jonathan's entourage, who did not want to be named, said Amaechi and his wife were invited for the ceremony which saw to the empowerment of over 1,000 women in the state.

The source said: “We sent a letter of invitation to the governor and his wife, one week to the event, but as you can see, no single government official was present at the occasion.
“The truth is that government deliberately refused to attend the event. Enough publicity was done for the occasion. Besides, invitation was extended to the state government.”

But officials of the state said they were not invited. Mrs. Amaechi’s Press Secretary, Mr. Dike Bekwele, denied knowledge of the event, saying that the governor’s wife was not invited to the occasion.

He said the governor or his wife would have sent a representative if they would not be in the state during the occasion, recalling that the wife of the governor attended the launch of the scheme in Rivers.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs. Jonathan, charged Nigerian women to train their children so that they will be useful to the society.
The first lady distributed sewing , cassava, pepper and tomato grinding machines to women across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Meanwhile, a former Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Apostle Eugene Ogu, has advised the president to withdraw his wife from circulation as her utterances in the political crisis in Rivers State were becoming inflammatory.

Ogu said the first lady should be reminded to see herself as a true mother of the nation who should not support one citizen against the other.

He said it was unbecoming of “a mother of the nation” like Mrs Jonathan to be making “inflammatory” public utterances in the Rivers crisis.

“Jonathan should withdraw his wife from circulation. She is making a lot of inflammatory statements that can further ignite the problem that two brothers are having presently. Patience Jonathan is not helping the PDP in its current peace effort," he said.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/first-lady-kicks-off-re-election-campaign-for-jonathan/150960/


What nerve! Patience Jonathan declares war on the North.
Patience Jonathan was in Rivers State yesterday where she campaigned for her husband's reelection even though GEJ is yet to declare his intention to run. During her meeting with a traditional ruler in the state they agreed that anyone who did not support GEJ has sold himself to the north.
When did the north stoop so low that a South South citizen dares insult us? 2015.

Let us see now if your precious GEJ can win even the PDP primaries without northern support. Let the battle begin.

This is what I call courage with class! Jonathan all the way to 2019!

Why does patience think 2015 is a battle between north n south south? If so then that means the the governors supporting Gej should be treated like traitors in the north! Someone should call this illiterate to order please the political scene should not be overheated by this woman. Instigating violence and attendant loss of lives ...let Gej's performance if any speak for him in 2015!

this pumped bag of beans, English language murderer should go and get a life and stop disgracing the office of the presidency that she and her re.tarded husband are fast turning to a joke.

When i said this Jona-dumbo's rabid dog needs to be tied down, some say i get bad belle. Statements like this only bring disrespect to the presidency and make a retardo of the occupant of that office.

smartchoice: Why does patience think 2015 is a battle between north n south south? If so then that means the the governors supporting Gej should be treated like traitors in the north! Someone should call this illiterate to order please the political scene should not be overheated by this woman. Instigating violence and attendant loss of lives ...let Gej's performance if any speak for him in 2015!

Thank you.

tomakint: This is what I call courage with class! Jonathan all the way to 2019!

But if it's Buhari you and your cohorts would ask for his head

How is Patience campaigning for GEJ a war declaration on the north. You people should take time to choose a title before opening a thread.




I think say na she dey carry Dokubo's RPG

It luks lyk dey are already defeated

raphead: this pumped bag of beans, English language murderer should go and get a life and stop disgracing the office of the presidency that she and her re.tarded husband are fast turning to a joke.

a first ladY Should go and get a life? What kind of life please?

tomakint: This is what I call courage with class! Jonathan all the way to 2019!

If a northerner had said dis,u would ve called him all sorts of ethnic names,bt u want d north 2 support ur oga,omo u no sabi hustle o.@ topic,is it her grammatical missiles,she wants 2 use in fighting d north? Smelly fetish illiterate

raphead: this pumped bag of beans, English language murderer should go and get a life and stop disgracing the office of the presidency that she and her re.tarded husband are fast turning to a joke.

murdering english language ain't her fault, english language is not her mother tongue. You'll be overwhelmed to know that some native speakers of english lang suck.

Lordave: How is Patience campaigning for GEJ a war declaration on the north. You people should take time to choose a title before opening a thread.




I think say na she dey carry Dokubo's RPG

Mumu. What did they mean by anyone who doesnt support GEJ is a sell out to the north? Park well jare

Her cup of tea

Donmams:
Mumu. What did they mean by anyone who doesnt support GEJ is a sell out to the north? Park well jare

how come mumu take enter this post? This is morning o, just put your brains in order.

Lordave: murdering english language ain't her fault, english language is not her mother
tongue. You'll be overwhelmed to know that some native speakers of english lang suck.

But they said she is a graduate,that means she has bin tot wit english language,from her primary sch days to her
university days,n they claimed she tot in Stelle Marris,one of d best schools in Ph,yet she can't speak simple n correct english,yet u r defending her.she's d worst n d most embarrassing first lady d world has ever seen,n it takes a dunce 2 marry such woman,dat can't even b brushed afta all dis yle.
Nb: people shud stop embarrassing uniport,she neva attended uniport,she only has primary sch education

justsayemma:

But they said she is a graduate,that means she has bin tot wit english language,from her primary sch days to her
university days,n they claimed she tot in Stelle Marris,one of d best schools in Ph,yet she can't speak simple n correct english,yet u r defending her.she's d worst n d most embarrassing first lady d world has ever seen,n it takes a dunce 2 marry such woman,dat can't even b brushed afta all dis yle.
Nb: people shud stop embarrassing uniport,she neva attended uniport,she only has primary sch education

yeah, she taught in one of the best primary school, schooled in uniport and bagged a degree, they are all hearsay Just to embellish her as a first lady.



It takes a dunce to have such a dumbars.e as wife, but love is blind.

For christ sake what kind of first lady is this? her locality is very hard in her head. what a disgrace for a prisident.

Powerr drunken patience jonathan

She'll be flown to Germany again if care is not taken

make una free our first lady

Oh my God!

My taught was that i will see a picture of where Patience Jonathan is carrying a GUN.

Well, I'm not so disappointed because she is loaded with grammartic errors to blow them apart...

BUT,

Dear Nairalanders, please i advice you to look at the academics background of a woman before you marry her.

This woman na ERROR for GEJ.

I support her! Make she declare war against d north! She has her greatest weapon ( english; )her grammartical bombss is enough to kill all d notherners.

This North South divide is blowing things out of proportion and promoting this mediocrity that we have in this country. SMH

Empty drum make the loudest noise, 2015 is around the corner lets wait and see who wins the race.

She shld be reminded dt politic is a game of numbers. She shld rather seek d support of d north n leave d minority south south wit their conscience. Would they betray their broda com 2015? I dnt think so.

I'm sorry, but Our First Lady is a FOOL... A BIG FOOL!!!

Temismith: I support her! Make she declare war against d north! She has her greatest weapon ( english; )her grammartical bombss is enough to kill all d notherners.

are the northerners any better than she is in grammar?

Lordave: are the northerners any better than she is in grammar?

Another regional bigot. SMH.

Donmams:
Another regional bigot. SMH.

truth be told, her grammar is just like dat of everyother average northerner.



And please stop shaking your head.



Oh I forgot it's even you I'm replying. When you were pouring out your venomous attacks on PEJ what was in your mind? Saint Daniel.

Donmams:
Another regional bigot. SMH.

Donmams, dont waste your keyboard taps on some folks who fail to understand that sentiment (noun) should not found at the highest office.
Patience Jonathan has no decorum, no poise and definitely no finesse expected of someone occupying the position of a first Lady. She thinks Nigeria is town hall meeting. SMH