Just less than five days to the presidential
election, the former militants of the Niger Delta region have changed
their choice of presidential candidate and adopted another ahead of the
March 28 poll.
The
ex-militants under the aegis of Coalition of Ex-Agitators, who spoke
with THISDAY correspondent on Sunday, said they have adopted the
presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) General
Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) as their candidate for Saturday’s poll.
The former warlords explained that they endorsed Buhari because President Goodluck Jonathan has failed the people of the Niger Delta region in particular and the nation in general.
The National President of the group, General Israel Akpodero, who spoke during the endorsement in Ughelli, Delta State, said the former militants unanimously took the decision after realising that President Jonathan was empowering his Ijaw brothers to the detriment of other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta.
According to him, Ijaw people are the sole beneficiaries of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme, adding that Mr. President made jest of the Urhobo people with the ministerial appointment of Chief Steven Oru few months to the general elections in a bid to secure the votes of the Delta Central people.
Akpodero, who accused President Jonathan of being a tribal president who does not have the interest of the people of the Niger Delta, particularly the Urhobo ethnic nationality at heart, said they resulted to endorsing Buhari because of his pedigree and good track records as an upright and focused leader with the right frame of mind to fight corruption that has crumbled the nation economy.
The ex-militant said the group’s decision is to express their bitterness and displeasure about the total neglect of the Urhobo nation by the PDP-led government under President Jonathan and to also fault the manner the federal government has been handling the Amnesty Programme since its inception till date.
The national president also accused Mr. President of refusing to absorb the third phase amnesty which would have benefited the youths of Delta Central, noting that although the matter is now in court, they are prepared to fight for what is rightfully theirs.
Speaking also, the state’s APC governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor thanked the ex-warlords for coming out to endorse him and Buhari for the benefit of Nigerians and Deltans.
The governorship aspirant advised Nigerian youths to stand up and defend democracy by saying no to all forms of electoral violence during the 2015 general elections.
He also pleaded with the ex-agitators not to allow their endorsement to be in vain by taking the message of change to their respective domains and localities so as to achieve the major goal of rescuing Delta State from the PDP corrupt cabal who have taken her hostage for 16 years.
Emerhor told the youths to get their PVCs and come out to vote and secure their votes on March 28 for the presidential elections and April 11 for the governorship elections.
He assured that Buhari has the will power and strength of character to find lasting solutions to the problems facing the nation, especially as President Jonathan has displayed substantial degree of incompetence.
He
said Nigerians have come to the realisation that voting Jonathan as
President in 2011 was a big mistake that will not repeat itself in 2015
because Jonathan and the confused leaders of the PDP have failed the
country in several ways.
Emerhor said the ruling party collapsed the social and economic structures of Nigeria which the APC and Buhari’s have decided to repair from 2015 and beyond.
With endorsement like this, it becomes obvious that the former militants of the Niger Delta region are in faction.
A former Deputy commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly known as Commander Boyloaf recently explained why the militants decided to reverse their decision not to support the re-election of President Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 presidential election.
Last month the Northern Coalition for Good Governance reacted to the war threat issued by the Niger Delta militants that are in support of President Jonathan.
Niger Delta Militants. Photo: Tife Owolabi
The former warlords explained that they endorsed Buhari because President Goodluck Jonathan has failed the people of the Niger Delta region in particular and the nation in general.
The National President of the group, General Israel Akpodero, who spoke during the endorsement in Ughelli, Delta State, said the former militants unanimously took the decision after realising that President Jonathan was empowering his Ijaw brothers to the detriment of other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta.
According to him, Ijaw people are the sole beneficiaries of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme, adding that Mr. President made jest of the Urhobo people with the ministerial appointment of Chief Steven Oru few months to the general elections in a bid to secure the votes of the Delta Central people.
Akpodero, who accused President Jonathan of being a tribal president who does not have the interest of the people of the Niger Delta, particularly the Urhobo ethnic nationality at heart, said they resulted to endorsing Buhari because of his pedigree and good track records as an upright and focused leader with the right frame of mind to fight corruption that has crumbled the nation economy.
The ex-militant said the group’s decision is to express their bitterness and displeasure about the total neglect of the Urhobo nation by the PDP-led government under President Jonathan and to also fault the manner the federal government has been handling the Amnesty Programme since its inception till date.
The national president also accused Mr. President of refusing to absorb the third phase amnesty which would have benefited the youths of Delta Central, noting that although the matter is now in court, they are prepared to fight for what is rightfully theirs.
Speaking also, the state’s APC governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor thanked the ex-warlords for coming out to endorse him and Buhari for the benefit of Nigerians and Deltans.
The governorship aspirant advised Nigerian youths to stand up and defend democracy by saying no to all forms of electoral violence during the 2015 general elections.
He also pleaded with the ex-agitators not to allow their endorsement to be in vain by taking the message of change to their respective domains and localities so as to achieve the major goal of rescuing Delta State from the PDP corrupt cabal who have taken her hostage for 16 years.
Emerhor told the youths to get their PVCs and come out to vote and secure their votes on March 28 for the presidential elections and April 11 for the governorship elections.
He assured that Buhari has the will power and strength of character to find lasting solutions to the problems facing the nation, especially as President Jonathan has displayed substantial degree of incompetence.
Emerhor said the ruling party collapsed the social and economic structures of Nigeria which the APC and Buhari’s have decided to repair from 2015 and beyond.
With endorsement like this, it becomes obvious that the former militants of the Niger Delta region are in faction.
A former Deputy commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly known as Commander Boyloaf recently explained why the militants decided to reverse their decision not to support the re-election of President Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 presidential election.
Last month the Northern Coalition for Good Governance reacted to the war threat issued by the Niger Delta militants that are in support of President Jonathan.
Buhari has urged Nigerians especially those in the South; not to be deceived by President Jonathan the second time.
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