Reacting to the criticism of its endorsement of the All Progressives
Congress candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for the presidency in
the 2015 elections, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has
insisted that Buhari is the best candidate in the race.
MEND, the umbrella body for militancy in the oil-rich Niger-Delta, said
it would support the APC candidate.
Candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, President Goodluck Jonathan,
an Ijaw man from Bayelsa State, is also from the Niger Delta.
MEND had on Wednesday declared that it would support Buhari for the
presidency, alleging that Jonathan had not performed up to the expectations of
Nigerians, a position that did not go down well with the PDP and the Ijaw Youth
Council.
Why the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh,
queried APC’s link with MEND, the IYC through its Publicity Secretary, Eric
Omare, reportedly described MEND as a “ghost”.
Jonathan, at the commencement of his campaign in Lagos on Thursday, also
said he did not expect the group’s support because “some people procured MEND
in 2010 to assassinate me” and that the leader of the group, Henry Okah, is in
jail in South Africa.
But MEND, in an electronic statement by its famous spokesperson, Jomo
Gbomo, on Thursday, described Metuh’s position on its support for Buhari as
“callous and irresponsible.”
The reaction of the PDP, the Niger Delta militant group explained,
further confirmed its views about President Jonathan’s alleged inept
government.
The statement read, “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta views the recent question and statement credited to the Peoples
Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, as very callous and
irresponsible.
“This question: “Explain your connections with MEND”, further confirms
and vindicates our views about Goodluck Jonathan, his inept government and the
PDP.”
“MEND strongly denies any link with the All Progressives Congress and
has never been approached for anything, at any point in time, by the party, as
pettily alleged by Olisa Metuh.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stands strongly by
our endorsement and full support of General Muhammadu Buhari as the man to lead
the country out of its present calamitous state in the hands of Goodluck
Jonathan.
“MEND finds it laughable the recent statement by Mr. Eric Omare, the
Publicity Secretary of a mere tribal assembly and political praise singers,
known as the Ijaw Youth Council, stating that ‘MEND is a ghost’. We clearly
understand their frustrations at our stance as it obviously came as a shock to
them.
“Nigerians should ask this man (Eric Omare) if he was referring to
‘ghosts’ when he lauded MEND for declaring a temporary ceasefire six months
ago.”
It added, “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, once
more, urges Nigerians to ignore the empty threats of this so-called
‘ex-agitators’ and the Ijaw Youth Council. Their reckless utterances only
ridicule and confirm the colossal failure of the Amnesty Programme.
“We advise the Ijaw Youth Council to use their idle time in telling and
showing Nigerians and Niger Deltans what the government of Goodluck Jonathan
has done or achieved in Nigeria and the region in the last six years in office,
apart from giving them handouts called monthly stipends.
“If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can
never regain their respect and esteem.”
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