Ex-Niger Delta militants have been issuing war threats if President Jonathan loses his re-election bid.
Last week, the ex-militants, in a meeting with Governor Siriake Dickson of Bayelsa threatened to throw the country into chaos if Jonathan loses the elections.
Despite widespread condemnation of the war threats by the ex-militants, socio political groups in the South-East and South-West have backed the stand of the militants.
The groups, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, MASSOB and OPC made their stand known to Punch in separate interviews.
The Ohanaeze Ndi’gbo group, argued that what the militants meant was that if the election is not fair and credible and Jonathan loses, they will reject the result. This, the Igbo group said, “is a right position to take.”
The National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Mr. Osita Oganah, quoted the All Progressives Congress, APC as also saying that if the election was rigged and its candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) lost, the party would form a parallel government.
“There’s nothing wrong in that too.”
However, Oganah said, “We, the Igbo, are in support of what the militants have said to the extent that they’re putting Independent National Electoral Commission under pressure.
“Their comments should move the INEC to do its best so that every would-be voter gets his or her Permanent Voter Card. Nobody must be disenfranchised.
“These militants are Nigerians–they belong to this country and want the best for this country. What the militants have said is not out of place. I don’t see any reason why the Temporary Voter Card cannot be used. If the electorate is unable to get PVCs, it’s INEC’s fault and not theirs; making that statement is to ensure that if the election is conducted well, Jonathan will win.”
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In a similar way, the Oodu’a Peoples Congress, OPC, said the recent attacks on President Jonathan’s campaign train in the northern part of the country triggered the militants to rise in the President’s defence.
The National Coordinator, OPC, Mr. Gani Adams, said, “They are entitled to their opinion. There are different ways of approaching the election. They spoke based on the attacks on Jonathan in Katsina and Bauchi. When some politicians wanted to frustrate (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo in 2002, we (OPC) rose up to confront them.”
Another socio-political group in the South East, the Progressive Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, a breakaway faction of MASSOB, also defended the stand of the militants.
The Director of Information, Progressive MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said while the group was not political, it shared the general political interest of Igbo people. He said, “What they said was true. If Jonathan loses the election, there would be a greater height of militancy in the Niger Delta region; if Buhari loses, insurgency will increase. It is on both sides.”
Meanwhile, the Afenifere Renewal Group has ccondemned the ex-militants for issuing war threats, stating that they are not the electorates.
The National Publicity Secretary, ARG, Mr. Kunle Famoriyo, said the country practises democracy and there should not be dictatorship. He added that the electorate should not be coerced into voting for anybody.
The group’s spokesperson, Mr. Yinka Odunmakin, said, “The drumbeats of war from the Niger Delta and the North are unacceptable. We, the Afenifere, condemn the call for war by the Niger Delta militants.
Also, the former Minister of Defence and ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), called for the arrest of the militants, describing their threats as “unguarded and reckless.” He warned that “miscreants” must not be allowed to hold the
country by the jugular.