With these words, the founding Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Pastor P. Z. Aginighan, spoke the minds of his Ijaw people on the presidential election.
Also from Aginighan, a former Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) and Acting Managing Director, came a message from the Ijaw to the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari: “He (Buhari) should govern with the fear of God and deliver on his promises to Nigerians during his electioneering campaign. Now that he is about to enjoy the fruit of democracy epitomised by the decent democratic conduct of President Jonathan, he should do all to strengthen the democratic institutions in the country. He should also have the courage to do likewise if he is defeated in an election.”
The INC leader, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, explained that the Ijaw mobilised for their kinsmen, Jonathan, ahead of last weekend polls, saying, “I heard the President of the Ijaw National Congress, Barrister Boma Obuoforibo, appeal to all Nigerians to re-elect President Jonathan for a number of days on NTA. Other Ijaw groups from Arogbo/Apoi clans in Ondo State to Eastern Obolo/Ibeno clans in Akwa Ibom State all mobilised for Jonathan.”
On the message Jonathan was trying to send by conceding defeat to Buhari, Aginigham said: “That was the manifestation of the finger of God upon Nigeria. It was the greatest demonstration of love for Nigeria. It was an uncommon show of statesmanship. General Buhari that he conceded defeat to never did same to him in 2011. His action is in conformity with the injunction of the Holy Bible in Romans 12:21: ‘Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good’. Jonathan kept his date with history. As Ijaw, we feel proud that one of us has provided Nigeria an example of a true democrat.’’
On the response of the world leaders to the President’s disposition to the outcome of the March 28 election, he stated: “For a man who resisted the temptation to use the instruments of coercion and stupendous state resources at his disposal to perpetuate himself in power, for a man who congratulated his opponent while the collation of results was still going on, for a man who averted the wasting of lives of thousands of innocent Nigerians through a post election violence, all the outpouring of commendation from within and outside Nigeria is well deserved. President Jonathan has lived out his often quoted saying that nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.’’
On the insinuation in some quarters that Jonathan is more of an Ijaw President than a Nigerian President, the former NNDC Acting MD said: “To me, Jonathan is not an Ijaw President as he has been painted in certain quarters. He is a Nigerian President of Ijaw extraction. He recognised that he became President of Nigeria in 2010 by divine providence. In 2011, Nigerians overwhelmingly elected him as their President. He served Nigeria to the best of his ability with all the challenges that he faced, particularly the Boko Haram insurgency in the North.
Jonathan has constructed so many roads for Nigeria with none that he has commissioned in the Ijawland since he became President. He established Almajiri schools in the North but none for the migrant fishermen in his native Ijaw land. There are SURE-P mass transit buses all over Nigeria but no SURE-P boats throughout the coastal belt that is inhabited largely by the Ijaw. No part of the Ijawland is benefiting from the railways Jonathan has revamped.
Ijaw does not have any airport to refurbish. Jonathan’s Ijawland is largely in darkness, inaccessible by road, without potable water. He pleased the rest of Nigeria and forgot his people, thinking that by so doing they would re-elect him, but that did not happen.”
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