Dame Patience Jonathan
First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has refuted an investigative report alleging that she influenced the suspension of Governor Rotimi Amaechi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Mrs Jonathan who made this refuttal in a statement issued by her media assistant, Mr. Ayo Osinlu described the said report as a new twist ?introduced to the carefully orchestrated scheme to anchor the political fortunes or survival of certain embattled politicians on a deliberate demonization? of her.
She threatened to go to court, warning that ?if this trend continues in the near and distant future, we may be constrained to take action within legally permissible limits to protect the integrity of the office and person of the First Lady.
?We consider it laughable that it can be assumed by any sane person that the First Lady could possibly ?summon? the members of the NWC of the party for the purported purpose of handing down ?stern directives? on crucial party decisions?, she added.
Querying what platform, context and capacity the investigation was made, she wondered whether it was not an unfortunate insult on all the elders that constitute the NWC to insinuate that they were assembled by her, or anyone else for that matter, and instructed on positions of the party, adding that ?investigators? of the story would have named at least a few of those in attendance of the meeting.
The statement made available to LEADERSHIP reads in part: ?We consider it a most unbecoming insolence, to say the least DISRESPECTFUL, of any one to suggest that the whole of the Peoples Democratic Party was led by the nose and influenced by a private interest, in a matter that so evidently borders on party discipline and administration.
?Only recently, we were compelled to make a statement, warning those who have become specialists in looping their self-induced political travails around the First Lady, to develop another strategy for their survival.
?This was when another vicious lie was circulated that Her Excellency had, again, ?summoned? service chiefs in Rivers State, and instructed them to be firmer in handling the Rivers matter.
?Let us state once again, that the First Lady is not an elected official of state, neither is she a party functionary. She therefore recognizes very clearly her place in the scheme of things and acts always accordingly within context.
?In our safe estimation, the whole of this is a conscious calculation to sustain the issue of Governor Amaechi in full public view, as well as to explore the possibility of keeping public sympathy in his favour.?
Source-Leadership/Nigeria
