Our correspondent gathered on Saturday that the kinsmen were assembling the building blocks to ensure that all the states in the Niger Delta region, especially those with the South-South, speak in one voice and endorse Jonathan.
The project, which our correspondent learnt is being spearheaded by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, is being undertaken out of the fear that Jonathan’s popularity had waned over agitations that he had failed to attract development to the region.
Part of the plan, it was learnt, was to ensure that certain people in support of Jonathan emerge leaders of key organisations and movements widely known to speak for the region.
Our correspondent learnt that as part of the agenda, all the government approved candidates emerged winners in the Ijaw National Congress election, held in Ijaw House in Yenagoa on Saturday.
The government was said to have ensured that its candidates were elected to constitute the leadership of INC because of the strategic role the body would play to return Jonathan in 2015.
There were allegations at the venue of the election that most of the delegates had been bought over by candidates, who were loyal to the government.
One of the aggrieved candidates, Mr. Nengi James, who contested for the position of vice-president, was seen attacking a Special Adviser to Dickson on Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, for distributing a list of approved candidates before the election.
It was further learnt that at the end of the election, all the people in the alleged government list secured the highest votes and were declared winners by the Electoral Committee, led by the former Minister of Police Affairs, Chief Broderick Bozimo.
A former Senator, Chief Tare Sekibo, who topped the list was elected the President of the organisation.
In his acceptance speech, Sekibo, who is from Okiirika, Rivers State, the home of Patience, wife of President Jonathan, vowed to pursue the collective interest of the Ijaw nation.
Dickson had earlier denied insinuation that he was supporting some candidates for the INC elections.
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Iworiso-Markson, insisted that he had no preferred candidate in the election.
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