MEND ‘not linked to APC’

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta says it does not have any link with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is following the call of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the main opposition party to explain its connections with MEND after the group endorsed Muhammadu Buhari for next month’s presidential election.

Reacting to PDP’s statement on Thursday, Jomo Gbomo, the militant group’s leader, said: “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) views the recent question and statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 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 links with the All Progressive Congress (APC) 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 (MEND) stands strongly by our endorsement and full support of Muhammadu Buhari as the man to lead the country out of its present calamitous state in the hands of Goodluck Jonathan.”

For calling MEND a ghost, Gbomo also slammed the Ijaw Youth Council, describing it as a mere tribal assembly and a group of political praise-singers.

“MEND finds it laughable, the recent statement by 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,” Gbomo said.

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) once more urges Nigerians to ignore the empty threats of this so-called ‘ex-agitators’ and the Ijaw Youth Council. Their reckless utterances only ridicule and confirm the colossal failure of the ‘Amnesty Programme.’

“We advise the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to use their idle time in telling and showing Nigerians and Niger Deltans what the government of Goodluck Jonathan has done or achieved in Nigeria and the region in the last six years in office, apart from giving them handouts called monthly stipends.”