LAGOS SEPTEMBER 10TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The National Youth Leader of the Alh Baraje led new PDP, Comrade Timi Frank has blasted the former Niger Delta warlord, Asari-Dokubo for declaring former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a persona non grata in the Niger-Delta region over the ongoing crisis in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Reacting to the position of the former warlords under the aegis of Leadership Peace and Cultural Development
Initiative, Comrade Frank said “the position depicted the ignorance of the group and only showed total lack of
understanding of the crisis in the PDP.”
The Youth leader said it was wrong for the group to declare Atiku or indeed any Northerner and Nigerian involved in the current crisis a persona non grata as the issue at stake was purely a party matter that should be devoid of tribal, ethnic, religious or regional sentiments.
“It is on record that The Niger Delta region and it’s youths 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.
“The PDP crisis is not a regional crisis but purely a party affair. While it is not out of place for interests in this
circumstance, to be galvanised as is being done by the former Niger Delta warlords for President Jonathan, doing so with revert to threats only shows the total purile manner that some persons understand the crisis and are wanting to drag the nation into war for obvious selfish reasons,” the youth leader said.
Comrade Frank reminded the group of the enormous role the North played in the enthronement of the Jonathan Presidency, noting that a strong tie existed between the North and South South region and will outlive the Jonathan Presidency.
“Let it be on record that the squabble in the PDP is not about oil blocs and allocations in the Niger Delta, nor is it of amnesty and the struggles therein. The crisis in the PDP is purely a bid to instill party tenets and ideology through the enforcement of party democracy.
“Neither Atiku nor the G7 governors are fighting a selfish cause nor a regional cause. The crisis in the PDP is purely a battle between progressives in the party and those opposed to party democracy. We believe that it is also the intent of the struggle to also save the President from those that are misleading him.
“It is about the future of the PDP and the zeal to ensure that the ideals of the founding fathers of the party are not sacrificed on the altar of chauvinism and sheer self- centeredness, ” Comrade Frank posited.
Also a Muslim group named Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) took a swipe at Asari-Dokubo’s threat even as it reminds the militant leader that anyone that emerges as president of Nigeria has become the president of the whole of Nigeria.
“It is very sad that fourteen years into the Fourth Republic, a section of Nigeria still believes in politics of threat. MURIC affirms that the current crisis in the PDP is neither regional
nor ethnic.
“Rather it is an intra-party struggle for the enforcement of Allah-given and fundamental rights as well as the
entrenchment of democratic principles of justice, liberty, equality and the rule of law.
“It is about whether the PDP wants to genuinely reform or remain permanently reactionary,” the group stated in a statement signed by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
Source: Examiner