ACF supports Atiku, asks Niger Delta militants to withdraw threat

Northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum have told the Nige- Delta ex-militants who had declared Mr. Atiku Abubakar unwanted in the region to withdraw their threat in the interest of peace.

The Militants have declared Mr. Abubakar a “persona non grata”, over his role in the ongoing crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The group sternly warned that the declaration was “misguided” and “counterproductive”.

The forum said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani that, “Threats such as the one from the Niger Delta ex-militants are a negation of dialogue and the political process playing itself out on account of the breakup of the PDP into factions; the ex-militants are by their misguided action crossing the fiducial mark that is alien to democratic tenets,”

The PDP crisis took a different dimension on Saturday when the Niger-Delta militants declared that the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar was not wanted in the region any more, considering his ongoing role in the party and the nation’s politics.

After a meeting in Yenogoa, Bayelsa state was concluded on Saturday, some leaders of former militant groups, under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, declared Mr. Abubakar unwanted in the Niger Delta, accusing him of using the region’s oil wealth to fight the President, Goodluck Jonathan.

“It is unfortunate that Atiku who has benefitted so much from the Niger Delta oil is leading dissidents in a political coup against the first southerner to ever ascend the seat of president of Nigeria,” the group’s president, Reuben Wilson, said.

“We are aware of his vast business interest in the Niger Delta and we are warning him in his own interest to stay off the region. He cannot be enjoying our oil money and at the same time use the same money to fight the owners of the oil.

“What we thought we would be hearing from the north was how the federal government will implement the spirit and letters of the amnesty programme.”

“We dare say that they have misfired. What we expect Atiku to do in the next seven days is for him to apologize to the president for the public embarrassment. He has misled so many people, including the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who has abandoned governance in his state to follow the anti Jonathan apostles,” Mr. Wilson said on behalf of the group.

The group had also threatened to deal with Rivers state Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, if he continues his anti-Jonathan politics.

A youth leader in the northern region, Timi Frank, on Sunday, dismissed the threat against Mr. Abubakar as “empty and falling flat of common sense.”

“It is on record that the Niger Delta region and it’s youth have benefited immensely from the vast business interests of the former Vice President even as till date it remains to be challenged that Atiku remains the single highest employer of labour in the Niger Delta region and has empowered both investors and politicians from the region like no other Nigerian has, making him the bridge builder between the North and the South South region,” Mr. Frank said.

The Forum therefore urged the ex-militants to withdraw the threat in the interest of peace, national unity and steadiness of Nigeria as a dependable nation.

The group reiterated that “democracy is not matter of threats and intimidation, but contest of ideas and reasons,”.

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