The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has warned some ex-Niger Delta militants who have been threatening violence should President Goodluck Jonathan fail to secure a re-election in the February 14 poll. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, gave the warning in Abuja on Friday during an interactive session with journalists.
Metuh told the ex-militants to realise that Jonathan as President belongs to all Nigerians irrespective of their tribes and religious belief. Metuh was reacting to the statements credited to former leaders of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and the Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Mr. Asari Dokubo, that there would be war and the country would break if Jonathan loses the election. It would be recalled that several eminent Nigerians, including a former Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.)had condemned the ex-militants utterances and even called for their immediate arrest.
When asked why the PDP had remained silent over the statements despite the widespread condemnations it received, Metuh said “We are not in agreement with their statements and we are cautioning them to mind what they say. “No individuals own the party. The President could be more loved in Anambra than Ijaw area; he could have more support in Adamawa than in Bayelsa. He even said in Adamawa State that he had more votes from there in 2011 than in his home state of Bayelsa. “Jonathan is not the President of Ijaw or South-South. He should not be reduced as just the President of Ijaw alone. He is the President of the whole country.” He also called on party supporters to be decent in their languages, saying those who founded the PDP were men of honour whose ideals should be followed.
Metuh said, “While we have noted the zeal of some individuals supporting the president with advertorials and rallies, they should be guided by the ideals of the people who founded the party. “We respect the sanctity and privacy of individuals. We won’t trade words with issues that are private. “Support groups and individuals must be guided with this. We want issue-based campaigns. Those showing support for us should be guided by issues and not insults. That’s what we want the campaigns to be.” On the pelting of Jonathan with stones in some northern states, Metuh said that is not a sign of rejection of the PDP presidential candidate.
Like Us on Facebook!
0 comments:
Post a Comment