SAN FRANCISCO, December 15, (THEWILL) – Foremost Ijaw youth organisation, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, has told the Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) to leave President Goodluck Jonathan out of Delta governorship politics.
Reacting to the series of statements and text messages circulating in the State following the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries held in the state recently,the group particularly expressed disappointment over those accusing President Jonathan of manipulating the exercise through his kinsmen in Delta State.
The UPU had latched on the accusation and threatened a protest vote against Jonathan in the 2015 Presidential elections.
But in a statement signed by IYC spokesman, Barr Eric Omare, Monday, the Ijaw youth group said it was constrained to react so as to correct some wrong impressions and set the records straight.
The statement reads: “The internal primaries to elect the flag bearer of a political party especially the Peoples Democratic Party, Delta State should be separated from the Presidential election.
“The role of President Jonathan as leader of the party ought to be to ensure level playing field for all the aspirants which he did in the case of the Delta State PDP primaries.
“It is totally wrong and unfair for individuals, groups and ethnic nationalities in Delta State to attribute the actions of some Ijaw politicians and businessmen in Delta State to President Jonathan.
“Ijaws in Delta State just like individuals from other ethnic nationalities have a right to support any aspirant of their choice.
“There was no time the Ijaws in Delta State collectively agreed to work against an Urhobo candidate in the PDP governorship primaries.
“The IYC has it on good authority that some Urhobo delegates from the Delta Central and South Senatorial Districts voted for the winner of the PDP governorship primaries elections, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
“Therefore, one wonder if it is right for the leaders of the Urhobo Progressive Union and other groups to blame President Jonathan for the actions of the Urhobo delegates.
“While the IYC and the Ijaw ethnic nationality appreciate and is in need of the support of other ethnic nationalities in the South-South Region towards the re-election of President Jonathan, we wish to advise that the re-election of President Jonathan is not about Ijaw interest or South South interest alone.
“The re-election of President Jonathan is about minority protection in Nigeria. The IYC desire a Nigeria where an Urhobo, Tiv, Idoma, Efik, Itsekiri, Igala etc can stand up to anything and would be treated equally as a Nigeria and this is what the 2015 Presidential election is about.
“Therefore, we advise ethnic groups agitating for the Governorship in Delta State to go about their agitation with decorum and separate the President Jonathan’s re-election from the politics of Delta State.
“The Goodluck Presidency is the collective project of all Niger-Deltans/minorities in Nigeria and not that of Ijaws alone.”
About the Author
