The Federal Government has finally reacted to the war threat by ex-Niger Delta militants, describing it as unacceptable.
This is coming barely 24 hours after a former Minister of Defence, Lt.Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, called for the immediate arrest of the duo following their threat to make the nation ungovernable if Jonathan lost the presidential election.
The ex-militants – Mujahiden Dokubo-Asari, Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), Victor Ebikabowei (aka Boyloaf) and others – had at the end of a meeting attended by Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, said, “For every Goliath, God created a David. For every Pharaoh, there is a Moses. We are going to war. Every one of you should go and fortify yourself.”
But the Federal Government, through the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has strongly warned against inciting comments.
The minister, at a news conference in Abuja, said that there was no basis for the ex-militants to be beating war drums since President Goodluck Jonathan had said he would concede defeat if he lost the February 14 presidential election.
He said, “It is reprehensible for people to threaten this country with mayhem should their candidate lose the election. The President, Dr. Jonathan, has not left anybody in doubt as to his preparedness to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent election.
“Mr. President has said that in the unlikely event of his losing the election, in the course of this exercise, that he was straight man enough, he was democratic enough to concede defeat.
“So, if Mr. President himself, who is the main contestant, who is the President of this country, who is the leader of the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) has come out to say that he was going to ensure free and fair elections where the choice of Nigerians would be respected, I do not see where statements from supporters of either Mr. President or any political party for that matter should derail the course of this democratic movement.”
The minister, who said that the anxiety over the elections was unwarranted, stressed that the Federal Government was determined to conduct hitch-free elections.
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