Niger Delta Militant Groups Dump Buhari, Pledge Loyalty To Atiku

A coalition of Niger Delta groups who backed President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election has dumped him and pledged support for his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP rival, Atiku Abubakar.

The groups who rose from a consultative meeting where they reviewed the political situation in the country regretted that Buhari has practically left the Niger Delta region in the lurch having failed to fulfill most of his promises to the region and to the country.

A resolution from the agitators and activists particularly flayed Buhari for the division in the country and his failure to carry every part of the country along.

The agitators who signed the statement included among others, General John Duku for Niger Delta Watchdogs and convener coalition of Niger Delta Agitators; General Ekpo Ekpo for Niger Delta Volunteers; General Simple Benjamin for Bakassi Strike Force; General Osarolor Nedam for Niger Delta Warriors; Major-Gen. Henry Okon Etete for Niger Delta Peoples Fighters and Major-Gen. Asukwo Henshaw for Bakassi Freedom Fighters and Major-Gen. Ibinabo Horsfall for Niger Delta Movement for Justice.

Other signatories included Major-Gen. Duke Emmanson for Niger Delta Fighters Network; Major-Gen. Inibeghe Adams for Niger Delta Freedom Mandate; Major-Gen. Abiye Tariah for Niger Delta Development Network; Major-Gen. Joshua Ebere for Renewed Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta; Major-Gen. Jeremiah Anthony, Movement for Actualization of Niger Delta Republic; Major Francis Okoroafor for Niger Delta Freedom Redemption Army; Colonel Nelson Okochi Walter; Niger Delta Liberty Organization; General Ubong Christopher Effiong for City Upland Strike Force and General Ecstasy Samuel; Niger Delta Marine Strike Force.

OUR REGRETS ON BUHARI

“It is with deep sense of regret that the APC led federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari which we worked for and delivered as the President of Nigeria in 2015 has proven to be incompetent in handling the affairs of Nigeria. It is very clear now that President Buhari and indeed APC lack direction, vision and plan for the people of Niger Delta and Nigeria in general.

“It would be recalled that during President Buhari’s campaign in 2014/15, he had made several promises to the Niger Delta people ranging from making the refineries to operate in full capacity, ending fuel subsidy, building more refineries, creating employment, building infrastructures across the Niger Delta region, engaging the youths in entrepreneurship, building economy, making naira equal to dollar, fighting insecurity, creating modular refineries, ensuring Ogoni clean-up, creating social intervention projects, among others.

“But to our surprise, President Muhammadu Buhari and APC since assumption of office till date have been engaging in blame games without any visible project in the last three and a half years of this government. Herdsmen have been released to murder innocent Nigerians in their sleep, fuel subsidy has found its way back to the system despite jacking up fuel pump price from N87 to N145 per litre, monumental corruption is biting harder in the NNPC with President Buhari as the Minister of Petroleum, no refinery is working till date, Ogoni clean-up is being politicized, prices of commodities are triple of the prices APC led government met as they assumed power in 2015.

FAILED ANTI-CORRUPTION FIGHT 

“President Buhari and APC have failed completely in the fight against corruption; the security agencies and EFCC have been hijacked and used as a tool against opposition while the real looters of the economy are being celebrated as saints in APC fold. The Paris club refund money is being shared among the APC elites while claiming to pay the families of poor Nigerians which can never be traced to any as they do not have data of such families.

“We would not be able to state all for want of space but we want to inform Mr. President and APC that they should give way as they lack the capacity, intellect and wisdom to govern Nigeria. Nigerians are wiser than they think. The Niger Delta people have been visited with intimidation under operation Crocodile Smile, oppression and incessant harassment of our elders and leaders under some frivolous excuses. It is time to put a stop to this madness of a government.

“The total failure of President Buhari to address killings across the country, lopsided appointment and the complete failure of this government to respect the rule of law have divided the country along ethnic lines than he met it, and his body language shows that he is not ready or willing to make amends.

“As a result of lack of vision and direction by this government under President Buhari, we have witnessed incessant killings across the country, untold hardship, maladministration, failure of economic policies which brought recession, monumental corruption by NNPC and government officials under Buharis kitchen cabinet, nepotism in the system, lopsided appointments in favour of his tribal brothers who are not capable of tackling the security of lives and properties which is the primary responsibility of the government.

WHY WE ARE BACKING ATIKU

“After due consultations with all the stakeholders in the Niger Delta struggle and critical analysis of the contending candidates and parties in the forth coming general election in 2019, the Coalition of Niger Delta hereby adopt and endorse His Excellency, Alh. Atiku Abubakar for President come 2019 and subsequently call on all the Niger Deltans to give Atiku all the needed support and ensure his victory come 2019.

“Having carefully evaluated the political agenda of the contending candidates and parties in the upcoming elections, we are left with no doubt that his honest, pragmatic and genuine programmes for the development of the Niger Delta region and his willingness to examine and listen to the yearnings and aspiration of the people in addition to his rich leadership qualities, set him far apart from other candidates.

OBI WILL BE GOOD VICE PRESIDENT

“We commend the choice of an astute administrator, entrepreneur and technocrat par excellence, Mr. Peter Obi as running mate in the forthcoming Presidential elections; it is a big plus and highly commendable. With this structure, victory is assured. We therefore call on all Ndigbo to give this movement the needed support which shall ensure the liberation of Igbo land from the current shackles of oppression under the antics of Python Dance.

“Our decision is based on the antecedents and leadership capacity of both candidates as accomplished entrepreneurs and in the public offices they occupied previously which had and would always speak of their integrity, capacity and sincerity. The concentration of majority of their businesses in the Niger Delta region stand them out among all, and enable them to know and feel the pains of the Niger Delta people and we know that when they assume office as the President  and Vice President respectively, they shall address the anomalies. We appreciate their stand on the restructuring of the country which shall give room for peace and development of the country based on true federalism and rule of law.

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