EX-NIGER DELTA MILITANTS ENDORSE BUHARI

Just less than five days to the presidential election, the former militants of the Niger Delta region have changed their choice of presidential candidate and adopted another ahead of the March 28 poll.
The ex-militants under the aegis of Coalition of Ex-Agitators, who spoke with THISDAY correspondent on
Sunday, said they have adopted the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) as their candidate for Saturday’s poll.
The former warlords explained that they endorsed Buhari because President Goodluck Jonathan has failed the people of the Niger Delta region in particular and the
nation in general. The National President of the group, General Israel Akpodero, who spoke during the endorsement in Ughelli,
Delta State, said the former militants unanimously took the decision after realising that President Jonathan was
empowering his Ijaw brothers to the detriment of other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta.
According to him, Ijaw people are the sole beneficiaries of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme, adding that Mr. President made jest of the Urhobo people with the ministerial appointment of Chief Steven Oru few months to the general elections in a bid to secure the votes of the Delta Central people.
Akpodero, who accused President Jonathan of being a tribal president who does not have the interest of the people of the Niger Delta, particularly the Urhobo ethnic
nationality at heart, said they resulted to endorsing Buhari because of his pedigree and good track records as an
upright and focused leader with the right frame of mind to fight corruption that has crumbled the nation economy.
The ex-militant said the group’s decision is to express their bitterness and displeasure about the total neglect of the Urhobo nation by the PDP-led government under President Jonathan and to also fault the manner the
federal government has been handling the Amnesty Programme since its inception till date.
The national president also accused Mr. President of refusing to absorb the third phase amnesty which would have benefited the youths of Delta Central, noting that
although the matter is now in court, they are prepared to fight for what is rightfully theirs.
Speaking also, the state’s APC governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor thanked the ex-warlords for coming out to endorse him and Buhari for the benefit of
Nigerians and Deltans.
The governorship aspirant advised Nigerian youths to stand up and defend democracy by saying no to all forms of electoral violence during the 2015 general elections.
He also pleaded with the ex-agitators not to allow their endorsement to be in vain by taking the message of change to their respective domains and localities so as to
achieve the major goal of rescuing Delta State from the PDP corrupt cabal who have taken her hostage for 16 years.
Emerhor told the youths to get their PVCs and come out to vote and secure their votes on March 28 for the presidential elections and April 11 for the governorship elections.
He assured that Buhari has the will power and strength of character to find lasting solutions to the problems facing the nation, especially as President Jonathan has displayed substantial degree of incompetence.