Politics

DON’T PLACE ANY STOCK ON
MEND’S ALLEGED
ENDORSEMENT – PRESIDENT
JONATHAN TELLS BUHARI

We have noted with amusement, the
vituperations against President Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan by the renegade faction of
the Movement for the Emancipation of the
Niger Delta (MEND) headed by the
convicted terrorist,
Henry Okah in a
statement issued to endorse the
presidential candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari.
While we thank all people of the Niger
Delta, including the former militants
whom MEND claims to represent who
have already disassociated themselves
from the statement issued by the faceless
Jomo Gbomo and reaffirmed their
unflinching support for President
Jonathan’s re-election, we will like to
state that the latest assault on the
President by Henry Okah and his stooges
did not come as a surprise to us at all.
It was very much to be expected, coming
as it did from an individual and group who
have never hidden their vengeful personal
animosity against the President and who
have even gone to the extent of launching
murderous assaults on venues at which
the President was present on two
occasions.
It is most regrettable indeed that rather
than show remorse for the terrorist acts
against his fatherland for which he is now
rightly serving a term of imprisonment in
South Africa, Henry Okah continues to
pursue a pointless personal vendetta
against President Jonathan who
continues to advance and protect the
interests of the people of the Niger Delta
which Okah and his group threatened with
their misguided actions.l
The vituperations against President
Jonathan in the MEND statement
endorsing General Buhari are
mischievous, baseless and deliberately
styled to denigrate the good works of the
President.
It is well known that President Jonathan
played a significant role in ending the
militancy and insurgency in the Niger
Delta.
Under his watch, the destruction of oil
facilities and the incessant kidnapping
and killing of expatriates in the Niger
Delta waterways have become a thing of
the past.
The attempt by Jomo Gbomo’s MEND to
rewrite history by tarnishing the person of
President Jonathan for selfish, pecuniary
and political gains will amount to an
exercise in futility.
All patriotic and right-thinking Nigerians
must consider an endorsement from a
convicted criminal and his group who
harbor evil intentions against the unity
and progress of their country as a
poisoned chalice.
President Jonathan would never have
accepted such an endorsement from
terrorists and renegades.
The President therefore advises General
Buhari not to place any stock on his
purported endorsement by the renegade
faction of MEND which is led by a
convicted and  unrepentant terrorist with
whom no leader who truly means well for
Nigeria should be associated.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)