The leader of the Itsekiri Nation in Delta State and a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Alex Ideh, has said President Goodluck Jonathan failed the ethnic group while stressing his people’s massive support for General Muhammadu Buhari, the APC Presidential candidate in the forthcoming election
In a statement obtained by Sunday Punch, on Saturday, March 14, Ideh said Mr. Jonathan denied the Itsekiri people economic empowerment.
‘The outcome of the election will affirm the Itsekiri’s massive support for a Buhari presidency. Jonathan has failed the Itsekiri people through denial of economic empowerment and demonstration of ethnic jingoism.
‘The President, in November last year, was supposed to have come to perform the groundbreaking of the $16bn Export Processing Zone at Ogidigben, which is an Itsekiri community, but refused to do so 48 hours to the event, because of protests from the Ijaw community led by an ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), who told the President that his security could not be guaranteed if he dared to come.
‘Nobody from the presidency thought it fit to come and give any explanation. It is now that elections are around the corner and the tempo seems to be favouring Buhari that the President thought he could quickly come and visit Olu of Warri and give explanations. We feel he is giving too much credence to ethnic considerations because the instigated protest was coming from his people,” the statement read.
