Okpozo warns Northern politicians against destabilising actions

By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN CITY — SECOND Republic Senator and South South leader, Senator Francis Okpozo, yesterday, warned Northern leaders against taking actions capable of destabilising the country, saying that the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the Northern consensus candidate was an attempt to ridicule the integrity of Nigerians.

Senator Okpozo in his reaction to  the emergence of Atiku,  said   “the present political situation in the country is not based on democratic principles, it is not based on what could be done for Nigeria to succeed and have recognition all over the world.

This is because of people, who have been ruling Nigeria since the period of Obasanjo, who had no interest of the people of this nation at heart.

“I can give few instances. When Abiola won the heart of Nigerians, as people massively voted for him, the expectation was that the mantle of power given to him would be judiciously used for the well being of this nation. But Babangida truncated the success of Nigerians.

He brought in Obasanjo to rule this country and much was not felt from his regime.  There were allegations of corruption against him and his people, who were in that government.

“And anti-graft agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, could not investigate them.

There were lots of allegations against Atiku that were not investigated. One wonders how a person like  would now come out to say he is contesting presidential election, when he was  part and parcel of a government that misruled this country,” he said.

Okpozo added: “ Obviously, Atiku was the second in command during Obasanjo’s regime under the PDP. after he had problem with Obasanjo he left to form the AC and at the end of the day he lost his bid.

Now he is back again to PDP to say he wants to rule this nation. During Babangida’s regime, he contested primaries with Abiola under SDP but when Nigerians found him wanting they rejected him and he said he gave his structures to Kingigbe.

“The question now is why is he featuring desperately in politics since 1992 up till today. Why is he changing from party to party, can he be referred to as a consistent man? Is he telling Nigerians that they do not know what he did when he was Vice President?

With his present antecedent by ganging up with a section of this country, against the South is it not indicative of dividing this country due to his personal interest. Nigerians should watch and let them realize that this man has nothing to offer but pursuing his personal interest and be ready to vote him out in the primaries of the PDP” he said.