MEND Replies PDP: Yes, Buhari is the Best Man for the Job

MEND is angry with President Goodluck Jonathan and they not even hiding it. Reacting to the criticism of its endorsement of the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, for the presidency in the 2015 elections, MEND has come out again to insist that Buhari is the best man for the job.

The militant group had on Wednesday declared that it would support Buhari for the presidency, alleging that President Goodluck Jonathan had not performed up to the expectations of Nigerians, a position that did not go down well with the Presidency and the Ijaw Youth Council.

Why PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, queried APC’s link with MEND, the IYC through its Publicity Secretary, Eric Omare, reportedly described MEND as a “ghost”.

In a swift reaction, MEND said: “Nigerians should ask this man (Eric Omare) if he was referring to ‘ghosts’ when he lauded MEND for declaring a temporary ceasefire six months ago.”

MEND, in an electronic statement by its famous spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, on Thursday, described Metuh’s position on its support for Buhari as “callous and irresponsible.”

The reaction of the PDP, the Niger Delta militant group explained, further confirmed its views about President Jonathan’s alleged inept government.

The statement read, “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta views the recent question and statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, as very callous and irresponsible.

“This question: “Explain your connections with MEND”, further confirms and vindicates our views about Goodluck Jonathan, his inept government and the PDP.”

“MEND strongly denies any link with the All Progressives Congress and has never been approached for anything, at any point in time, by the party, as pettily alleged by Olisa Metuh.

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stands strongly by our endorsement and full support of General Muhammadu Buhari as the man to lead the country out of its present calamitous state in the hands of Goodluck Jonathan.

“MEND finds it laughable the recent statement by Mr. Eric Omare, the Publicity Secretary of a mere tribal assembly and political praise singers, known as the Ijaw Youth Council, stating that ‘MEND is a ghost’. We clearly understand their frustrations at our stance as it obviously came as a shock to them."

Jonathan, at the commencement of his campaign in Lagos on Thursday, also said he did not expect the group’s support because “some people procured MEND in 2010 to assassinate me” and that the leader of the group, Henry Okah, is in jail in South Africa for his crimes.