By Etop Ekanem

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has thrown its weight behind the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Ovie Omo-Agege, in the March 11, 2023 gubernatorial polls. 

Spokesman of the militant group, Jomo Gbomo, in a statement, said “the support relates to ongoing efforts to realign Niger Delta states with the ruling party/Federal Government in line with the policy direction of MEND since 2019.

“The realignment is a work in progress as we backed the re-election bid of President Buhari in 2019 followed with an all-out mobilisation for a David Lyon, APC gubernatorial victory in Bayelsa scuttled only by the 11th hour Supreme Court verdict. We’ll be back for Bayelsa State.

“Our reason is clear for prioritizing alignment of Delta State, having stuck with the now victorious ruling APC’s Bola Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential polls. Cross Rivers State is currently APC, Rivers State is already aligned to the centre in principle while Edo and Bayelsa States are currently off-cycle in gubernatorial elections.

“Besides, the Okowa-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government has taken Delta State on the fast lane to perdition, having mortgaged its future with unconscionable loans. We cannot afford a PDP government that has deceived the people for eight years running over an abandoned Ayakoromo bridge project that could open the riverine areas to development.

“We cannot afford a government, which failed to emplace state-of-the-art health facilities in the riverine areas from where more of the pietro-dollars that drive their inordinate ambitions flow.

“The good riverine people of Delta State, repulsed at the “conquered territory” treatment by Governor Okowa, should reject his PDP protégé at the incoming gubernatorial polls in person of Sheriff Oborovweri, who indeed endorsed Okowa’s diary of pillage, wastage of state resources and plunging of her people in bondage to debts. Deltans should reject PDP’s candidate, Oborevwori, who is primed to be teleguided by Okowa to cover up his mess.

“We have since mobilised our field forces to enlighten and protect the people to fight for their freedom through their ballot for Omo-Agege. We warn Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to drop his rumoured plans to subvert the mandate of the people as same will be resisted by any means necessary.

“We assure that we will be available to exact the gains of this realignment of Delta now and subsequently the entire Niger Delta states to the centre, for the benefit of the people.”