Silva, Lokpobiri, Peterside to Mobilise Ijaws for Buhari’s Re-election

Sylvester Idowu

Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Silva; Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, are now set to mobilise the Ijaw ethnic group to support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 general election.

This follow the mandate given to them yesterday by Ijaw leaders and chieftains of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State after a unity meeting was held in Warri, Delta State.

The meeting, which was held at the Ugborikoko residence of the Delta Ijaw APC leader, Hon. George Timinimi, was attended by Ijaw leaders and members of APC from Warri South West, Patani, Bomadi, Burutu, Warri North and Warri South Local Governments Areas of the state.

The seemingly slight disunity among the Ijaw leaders and chieftains of the party was resolved during the meeting with a determination to ensure and promote the collective interests of the Ijaw people ahead of the 2019 elections.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, and obtained by THISDAY, it was resolved that Timipre Silva and other prominent Ijaw political leader should mobilise the fourth largest ethnic group in the country in support of the re-election of President Buhari.

The communiques read thus: “That the Ijaws of APC in Delta State hereby affirms that His Excellency, Silva,

Lokpobiri, and Director General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, are the leaders of the APC in the entire Ijaw land, and should galvanise support for President Buhari’s re-election next year.”

The communiqué was signed by APC Ijaw leader, Hon. George Timinimi;

Sir Theodore Ezonfade, Denbo Dembofa Oweikpodor, Ebikabowei Victor,

Alphonsus Feh, Chief Micheal Johnny, Collins Eselemo, APC Ijaw council areas chairmen and 53 others.

It stated: “That the Ijaws of APC in Delta State pledge their total and unalloyed support for the second term bid of Buhari in the forthcoming 2019 election due to his administration monumental achievements in infrastructural development, economic stability, people oriented programmes for the vast majority of the less privileged and the giant strides achieved in his anticorruption crusade.

“The Ijaws of the APC in Delta State affirmed that henceforth, Timinimi is the party leader of the Ijaws in Delta State.

“This is premised on our collective desire to be focused as a people with coordinated leadership to deliver the dividends of democracy to our area.

“We, therefore, pledge our support and loyalty to the trio as we partner them to liberate the entire Ijaw nation from the shackles of the opposition.”