Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been declared a persona-non-grata by leaders of ex-militants in the Niger Delta for threatening to stop the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and spearheading the break-up of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former warlords drawn from all nine states of the Niger Delta made the declaration after a meeting under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI) in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State yesterday.
They said: “It is unfortunate that Atiku, who has benefitted so much from the Niger Delta’s crude oil and gas, is leading dissidents in a political coup against the first Southerner to ever ascend the seat of President of Nigeria.
“We are aware of his vast business interest in the Niger Delta and we are warning him, in his own interest, to stay off the region.
“He cannot be enjoying our oil money and at the same time use the same money to fight against the owners of the oil.”
They added: “What we thought we would be hearing from the North was how the Federal Government would implement the spirit and letters of the amnesty programme.
“Before the former President, Umaru Yar’Adua, died, he promised that as soon as we dropped our arms and allowed an unhindered flow of oil from the creeks, we would be given a lifeline.
“He also promised that we would be empowered, to live a new life from the resources of our oil.
“We have been waiting patiently for these to happen. Our acceptance of peace benefitted Atiku and his ilk. Why did he not lead a campaign for the Federal Government to provide the empowerment tools?
“Why has he found it convenient to distract President Jonathan from rendering service to Nigerians?”
They went on: “It is the same Northerners that vowed that they would make the country ungovernable for Dr. Jonathan. By splitting the PDP and causing further tension in the polity, they are demonstrating the agenda of giving President Jonathan sleepless nights, with the intention of taking over power in 2015.
The former freedom fighters also urged Jonathan not to be distracted by the antics of persons they alleged were fighting hard to distract him.
They added they were still waiting patiently for the Federal Government to fully implement the terms of the amnesty programme.
Atiku’s spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, however dismissed the threat.
He said: “Atiku has devoted his life to defending democracy in Nigeria and will not be prevented or deterred from visiting any part of this great country.
“Throughout his long career in business, he has maintained strong ties to the Niger Delta and employs thousands in the region. He will continue to passionately defend democratic values and his work to improve the dignity and lives of all Nigerians.”
Read more: Nigerian Eye
solo.u are one of this boys in mile two and welma bus stop lagos who has no future in his life time.am sorry u will be dead before 2015. How i wish u will be alife & see jonathan wining the election.RIP solo
Lol! Yoruba man 2 operate @sam wave-length wit hausa! Let d west vote johnatan out n vote demselve out f pwr in d history f 9ja. Dat d west r enligthened is jst past glory, 2day westerner r dominated by ‘Olodos’, u ppl wil surely look 4 us. GEJ re-election is as sure as dead! Nothing less! D north ruled us 4 donkey f yrs bt could nt evn help deir region, instead dey increz d numbr f alamajeris n send al d women 2 prison called ‘ba-shi-ga, it’s GEJ dat redeem dem. Solo u go tell ur cock n bull story 2 d marine. Fuck u!
Solo u nid proper orientation abt dis country 2allow u speak like a matured mind, dn’t say “we Nigerians r tired” bt “some of d westerners” cos nt all d westerners r complainin d way u’r, i beliv a gud numba of dem r enligtend, it is obvious dat train nw travels frm Lag 2 Kano and 3rd main land bridge fixd, lagos refinery, egbin power project and odaz r situated in d west. U nid 2stop suckin ur mummy’s breast and face reality cos ignorance is harmful. GEJ wil surpriz u com 2015.
Guy get this into ur block head that ringing the election will not work come 2015 bcs we are going to vote and we will make sure our vote is count,beside am not as stupid as u are by discriminating,I don’t care where the president come from,all I care is the ability to fight curroption,some body that will not bcs of he want to remain in power and spear the curropt fellow,as for me Gej should decomp to Apc and contest for the post of LGA chairmanship in his village,small mind most of those thing u counted can be don by a care taker LGA chair man in lagos state
I support d stand of dis ex-militants, enough of dis nonse frm d north, non of d prezdnts frm north was eva distractd by any region nor were given terms and conditions. It is tym d truth is squarely spelled. The northerners looted our fund & brought d country 2dis stage of sufferin yet stil clamourin 4 leadership, is Nigeria 4 dem alone?
What did those stupid people mean by our oil,is not about atiku alone,we nigeria are tired of our oil,ur oil,they should go away with their stupid oil that bring problem to nigeria,south west will surely vote agaist Gej,tell me why must we vote for him when there is no any federal project he do here in south west,see ibadan lagos express way he only come block the road, promise and go,we will vote agaist him.up APC down PDP