Speaking with Vanguard in an exclusive interview in Abuja on Tuesday, Tabai warned that the desperate attempt by politicians to demonise Jonathan and stampede him from enjoying his constitutional two terms was unacceptable to the people of the Niger Delta.
Tabai, who also played a prominent role in the Niger Delta struggle, pointed out that it was unfair for politicians to stoke the embers of violence in the Northern part of the country all in a veiled bid to bring down the Jonathan administration.
The former adviser described the current Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast as a political weapon being employed by those opposed to the present administration to weaken the government and pave the way for the opposition to take over.
Tabai said: "Jonathan as a Nigerian has the right to contest and it would be very unfair for anyone to try to stop him from contesting in 2015. If you don't want him to be president in 2015 the best way is to campaign against him at the poll. "But it is unacceptable for anyone to incite bombing and killings just to give Jonathan a bad name so as to lose the election.
"It will never and can never work in this country. And we the people of the Niger Delta will not fold our arms and allow him to be pushed away just like that," Tabai warned.
Asked to suggest ways of ending the spate of insurgency in the North, the former Bayelsa State adviser said that it was imperative for the people of the three states to take the lead in exposing the malevolent elements involved in the attacks with a view to making them to lay down their arms.
Tabai pointed out that it was the people of the Niger Delta, who took the lead in working on the militants to list their demands and adopt measures for ending the violence that halted oil production by more than 60 percent.
Answering a question on the apparent delay by the President to take decisive actions to deal with the insurgents, Tabai defended Jonathan, saying that he was not expected to behave as a military tyrant who has no regard for human rights and rule of law.
Tabai said, "The President's disposition is tied to his respect for human rights and the rule of law. He is using the best and most peaceful approach to issues and we believe it is working for us in the Niger Delta.
"As we speak if the President moves against those who are accusing him of being slow and incompetent, they would be the same people to accuse him of committing genocide.
"I would not encourage him to take any decision that would portray him as a Southern President out to kill the northerners. That is why I think that his calm and friendly approach to issues suits the moment in which we have found ourselves.
That is why I cannot blame him for being calm and calculated in his actions," the Bayelsa youth leader said.
Via: Vanguard
No comments:
Post a Comment