By Emma Amaize

WARRI—SOME pan- Niger Delta civil society groups, yesterday, maintained that northern conspiracy, not corruption and mis-governance, caused the defeat of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.

Jonathan

The groups, Niger Delta Security Watch Organisation of Nigeria, Ijaw People’s Development Initiative and Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, stated this in a statement by their leaders, Dickson Bekederemo, Austin Ozobo and Alaowei Cleric, in Warri, Delta State.

“He failed because some persons think it is their birthright and nobody apart from them is qualified to rule Nigeria. Even if Jonathan had won, there would still be  civil war because the conspiracy was to prevent a minority from further steering the ship of the nation,” they said.

The groups berated the former president of Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC, Mr Udengs Eradiri and his successor, Mr Eric Omare, for allegedly insinuating that Dr Jonathan encouraged corrupt practices in his government, describing it as reckless and needless.

But Omare and leader of Ijaw Human Rights Monitors, Mr Fred Brisbe, in a counter statement, said the groups misconstrued the former’s comment.