Niger Delta Declares War If…

head of 2015 general elections,
Northern youths engaged. The

former President of Ijaw Youth
Congress (IYC) and Leader of the Niger
Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF),
Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, in a war
of words over the re-election bid of
President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
In an interview with our correspondent
in Owerri, the Imo State capital, He
stated that after Jonathan’s presidency,
the region will resume claim to the
resources in the oil-rich Niger-Delta,
saying that they are currently on
sabbatical leave.
Dokubo had fired the first salvo while
addressing a press conference in Abuja
as he declared that the Niger Delta
region cannot guarantee peace in
Nigeria if President Jonathan is not
returned in 2015.
The arrogance of Shekau and his group
is unislamic, there is no way that Mr.
President will accept somebody to tell
him to become a Muslim or resign?
Dokubo said that the choice of Nigeria’s
next president would be determined by
Nigerians and not Ijaw militants or
pipeline contractors.
Asari Dokubo pointed out that the
reason there is relative peace in the
country, especially in South-South geo-
political zone currently is not because of
the amnesty granted to Niger Delta ex-
militants by late President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua’s regime in 2010, but
Jonathan’s presidency.
Asari who spoke on a wide range of
national issues also said that contrary
to the claims of Jonathan’s critics that
his administration is visionless, the
administration has surpassed the
previous ones in terms of provision of
social infrastructure.
He said: “I called this briefing because
of events that are unfolding in the
polity. Recently, the Special Adviser to
the President on Niger Delta, Mr.
Kingsely Kuku, made a statement in the
United States of America, that the
peace being enjoyed in the Niger Delta
will not be guaranteed if President
Goodluck Jonathan is not returned as
President of Nigeria in 2015.
“This statement has been supported by
several groups from the region. Also,
the statement has been attracting
reactions from several quarters,
expectedly from the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) and others.
“I want to go on to say that, there will
be no peace, not only in the Niger
Delta, but all over Nigeria if Goodluck
Jonathan is not president by 2015,
except God takes his life, which we
don’t pray for.
“Jonathan has uninterrupted eight years
of two terms to be president, according
to the Nigeria constitution. We must
have our uninterrupted eight years of
two tenure, I am not in support of any
amendment of the constitution that will
reduce the eight years of two tenure
that Goodluck Jonathan is expected to
be president of Nigeria.”
“For a very long time, our resources
from the Niger Delta has been used to
feed and fund Nigeria, and some people
are still feeling that Nigeria is their
personal property, and they can
manage it the way they like, but those
days are gone forever; it can never
come back again. .
He said, “President Jonathan should
stop these elements from talking as if
they alone elected him into office in
2011.”