Ijaw Youth Council Plans Grand Reception for Jonathan
Says Buhari must apologise for not conceding defeat in past elections
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) yesterday said Ijaw nation was satisfied with the performance of the outgoing President, Goodluck Jonathan, and that it would welcome the president in a grand reception.
IYC also advised the Presidentelect, Muhammadu Buhari to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians having not conceded defeat in the past elections where he failed.
President of IYC, Udengs Eradiri in a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, expressed regret that Buhari refused to congratulate those he lost elections to 2003, 2007 and the 2011.
“The congress notes the goodwill and felicitations of President Jonathan and Nigerians in general towards Buhari’s victory, but note with sadness that Buhari refused to congratulate the victors in 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections when he contested and failed.”
IYC also stated that there was a deliberate attempt politician in the northern part of the country and some leaders from the South-west zone to take over control of the oil wealth from the Niger Delta region, thereby forcing President Jonathan out of office.
Eradiri said events which led to the 2015 presidential elections exposed the fact that President Jonathan was deliberately rigged out of the election, saying there was a desperate scheming to enable the North and South-west control the oil wealth from the Niger Delta region.
“We note with sadness the deliberate efforts by the core North and a section of the South-west to frustrate the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and force him out of power though false media propaganda and insurgency in the North, with connivance with some foreign countries who displayed desperate scheming by the core North and South-western part of the country to take back power is to enable them have access to the oil resource of the Niger-Delta,” he stated.
The group however advised the incoming administration to commence the process of national integration and run an all-inclusive government so as to address the polarisation and disunity which arose from the outcome of the presidential elections.
IYC also urged the APC government to maintain the Presidential Amnesty programme for ex-agitators in the NigerDelta region which has greatly contributed to the sustenance of peace in the Niger Delta region.
“The outcome of the presidential election has further polarised the Nigerian state into regional and ethnic lines, hence there is nothing to celebrate in the victory. Recommendations of the National Conference should be implemented by the incoming government to deepen our federal system of government where the federating units would develop at their own pace. This would address some of the imbalances responsible for political instability in Nigeria and the desperation to control government at the centre,” he added.
He, however, urged the Niger Delta youths to be calm, peaceful and maintain the existing peace in the region, as the Ijaw nation would observe the steps of the incoming government before taking a position.