From Chuks Okocha in Abuja,
Niger Delta governors have been accused of using the crisis in the zone as an avenue to arm-twist the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and negotiate with the Presidency for their second term in office and other political leverages.
The accusation was contained in a statement by the chairman and presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Chief Ambrose Owuru, in a statement made avaliable to newsmen in Abuja.
Owuru, who accused the Niger Delta governors of “trivialisation and politicisation of the crisis in the Niger Delta,” said, “We are of the view that the crisis in the Niger Delta region has for the last 10 years been exacerbated and worsened by the poor and bad leadership of the PDP-led governments both at the national and the state levels of government..”
The HDP presidential candidate, whose presidential petition is still at the Court of Appeal, said: “We condemned in totality the politicisation of the amnesty issue by the PDP governors from that region who now seek to use the inchoate and uncertain offer of amnesty for their personal political leverage and negotiation for their second term ticket in office at the expense of the people of the Niger Delta.”
He also said “except the PDP-led Government involves other major stake holders and political heavy weights and some presidential candidates in the region like himself, Chief Pere Ajuwa, Chris Okotie, the people of the region who are already distraught with the PDP-led government people will never believe and trust the amnesty programme.”
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