I recruited Dickson into PDP, and there is no rift between us, I am not competing with him -Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said that there was no rift between him and Bayelsa governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson contrary to perceptions held by some.

Jonathan spoke on his relationship with Dickson at his Otuoke country home when Gov Dickson led a Bayelsa government team on a condolence visit over the demise of Paramount Ruler of Otuoke Chief Lot Ogiasa.

Jonathan who went down memory lane and recalled the he persuaded Dickson to join Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and wondered  why some people are using politics to create crisis where none existed.





He attributed the unsubstantiated reports of percieved rift with the state governor to the handiwork of mischief makers who ply their trade on the social media.

He urged the media to emphasize on reports that will bring about unity rather than those that tend to cause disunity.

“For me politics is a very useless business; when I see the kind of things people write about me on the social media, I just laugh.

“For Bayelsa State, I feel sad because we are not many and we are not heterogeneous. It is a state that we also know ourselves.

“I have no reasons to say that I am competing with the governor; by the grace of God, I became Deputy Governor, and later on Governor of Bayelsa  and President of Nigeria.

 "There is no way I can sit anywhere and plan evil against Bayelsa or the Governor. When I was dreaming of becoming a governor, Dickson was amongst the very few in the meetings we were holding, although he was not in PDP he opted to help.

"He said he he didn't want to be in the PDP but I virtually forced him to join PDP.

"When I became Governor , I appointed Dickson Commissioner for Justice  and Attorney General and that was how he joined PDP and later became a member of House of Representatives and so on.

"There is no way I will break my relationship with the Governor.'' Jonathan said.

Dickson who led a high-powered state delegation for the condolence said he is part of the Ogiasa family and by extension, the Otuoke Community of Ogbia Local Government.

''We are here in full force as we have always done to commiserate with you, my elder brother, leader and the Ogiasa family in this hour of bereavement.

"We pray God to grant the Ogiasa eternal repose,'' Dickson said.

 The governor  who also dispelled rumour of any  rift with the former president said in and out of office, Jonathan would continue to remain his leader, having come a long way with the former president.

He called on those who want to cause imaginary differences between him and Jonathan to have a rethink.

"Both of us have come a long way. My personal political story can not be complete without talking about my elder brother, Jonathan.

"He also knows that I made little contribution that is  recorded in the political chapter of his life,''  Dickson said.

Dickson noted both he and Jonathan are not running for any office  and wondered why political jobbers are bent on destroying their good relationship.