A coalition of Niger Delta agitators has endorsed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declaring that President Muhammadu Buhari lacked direction and for failing to fulfill his electoral promises.
They said they were backing Atiku based on his position on restructuring, and his entrepreneurial background, which they noted, would lead to job creation in the Niger Delta. According to them, Atiku has the knowledge and capacity to turn the Nigerian economy around and bring the needed development to the country in the atmosphere of peace and security.
The agitators assured the International community and investors of peace and enabling business and political environment if Atiku emerges as the next President.
The agitators made this position known in a communiqué after a meeting in Port Harcourt, which was convened by John Duku of the Niger Delta Watchdogs, and 15 others including Ekpo Ekpo (Niger Delta Volunteers), Osarolor Nedam (Niger Delta Warriors) and Simply Benjamin (Bakassi Strike Force).
They regretted 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.”
They also blamed Buhari for not being able to stop the killings across the country, just as they faulted his appointment and the complete failure of the 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.
They said: “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 infrastructure 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.”
