The Ijaw National Congress, (INC) has endorsed Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar as their consensus candidate for the 2019 presidential election.
The consensus was reached at a crucial meeting of the Steering Committee of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, and Leaders of the Ijaw Nation held at Ijaw House, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The meeting which was attended by various leaders of the Ijaw people held under the Chairmanship of Prof. Joseph Ajienka, President of the INC Steering Committee, and focused on the State of the Nation, particularly, preparations for the 2019 general elections.
A release co-signed by Prof Joseph Ajienka, and Mr. Francis Doukpola for INC Steering Committee and the Ijaw Elders and Leaders respectively stated that their decision to unanimously adopt Atiku Abubakar as the sole candidate of the Ijaw ethnic nationality was because his views and position reflect the aspirations of the Ijaw people.
Professor Ajienka said the endorsement was a reaffirmation of the position of its leadership, including, its highest organ, The Council of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders, CITRE, who had met and agreed that the 2019 elections offer all Nigerians an opportunity to support candidates who believe in restructuring the country for the purpose of peace, harmony, equity, fairness and justice.
He also stated that it was in alignment with the views of Governor Seriake Dickson who had repeated on several occasions, that ‘’the 2019 Election is a referendum on restructuring the Nigerian polity.’’
According to him, restructuring the country was the principal theme of interest to the Ijaw people at this time when they have suffered unimaginable deprivations, exclusion and environmental scourge as a result of the faulty federal system being practiced in the country.
The Ijaw sons however observed that throughout the electioneering campaigns of leading presidential candidates in the 2019 elections, (Buhari and Atiku), “the APC and its Presidential candidate, President Mohammad Buhari, have made very little comments with regards to the question of restructuring.
They equally noted “with greatest concern and shock, President Buhari’s comment during his just concluded visit to Bayelsa State on the 12th February 2019, that “the present Nigerian Constitution and structure which gives Kano State 44 LGAs and Bayelsa only 8 LGAs was perfect since both states have three Senators each.”
The Ijaws described the statement as well as other numerous disregard and mistreatment to them as insensitive to the feelings of the Ijaw people over the “gaping and unacceptable injustice in the Nigerian political order” saying it also confirms his aversion to the question of restructuring which is of great importance to them as a people irrespective of political affiliation.
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They equally viewed the “unceremonious sacking of Mr. Mathew Seiyefa, from Bayelsa State, at his professional peak as Director General of the Department of State Services; DSS, and his replacement with a retired personnel from the home of Mr. President” as a further demonstration of the repulse and disdain with which the Buhari led government has been treating the Ijaw people.
The INC Steering Committee and the Ijaw Elders and Leaders rather noted with pleasure that in the contrast, the Candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, throughout his campaign restated his belief and commitment to restructuring the country.
The INC and Ijaw leaders therefore, called on all Ijaw people to turn out in their large numbers on Saturday, February 16 and without a single exception to stand behind Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and vote for him.
“This task must be undertaken by every true Ijaw son and daughter as a sacred duty which we owe to our people, owe to the labour of our heroes passed, owe our able youth of today and owe to our generations yet unborn. All true Ijaws must unite along this position,” they said.
