Rivers Ijaw leaders and elders have berated a Niger Delta leader, Chief Pere Ajuwa over his endorsement of the presidential ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in tomorrow’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for presidential flag bearer.

The leader of the Rivers Ijaw and Elders Forum, Prof. Abiye Obuoforibo said Ajuwa’s endorsement of Atiku was a betrayal of the early endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by his Niger Delta kinsmen.

In a press briefing in Port Harcourt, Obuoforibo dissociated the forum from the claim of Ajuwa that the Ijaw leaders and elders were solidly behind Atiku in his dream to secure the PDP presidential flag against their son, Jonathan.

Ajuwa as reported in some national dailies said that the doors of Ijaw people were open to Atiku who has the capacity to govern Nigeria” and that prominent Ijaw leaders have okayed their support for the former vice president for the PDP primary.

The Ijaw leader said while the forum does not want to join issues with the credibility of Ajuwa’s claim, the Rivers Ijaw leaders and Elders at its meeting in Port Harcourt described Ajuwa’s claim as totally baseless and unfounded.

According to him, Ajuwa lacks the mandate of Ijaw People and Elders to speak for them on any issue of common interest, adding that it is only the Ijaw National Congress (INC) under the presidency of Dr. Atuboyedia Obianime, after due consultations that can speak for the Ijaws.

Obuoforibo however, condemned in its entirety the aspersions cast on the person of President Goodluck Jonathan by Chief Pere Ajuwa, describing as unfortunate, Ajuwa cautions that President Jonathan is “lacking the capacity” to rule the country.

He averred that President Jonathan shares the honour of being among the intellectuals to head the federal government with his boss, late President Yar”Adua, noting that Jonathan is the only Nigerian who became the president of the country after serving as a deputy governor, governor, vice president and acting president.

“Is Ajuwa unaware of the huge investment in the energy sector and other high profile infrastructure being undertaken by Jonathan’s administration? What about the dramatic disappearance of the Proverb long queue at the petroleum filling stations? Perhaps, what Ajuwa perceived as lack of capacity is Jonathan’s disdain for unaccounted affluence derived from sources that are perennially unaccountable,” he queried.

The Ijaw elder statesman lashed Atiku for the statement credited to him that he wondered how President Jonathan expects to win at the primaries when 61 percent of the delegates are from the North and 39 percent from the South.

He urged Nigerians to examine the statement as its perceived numerical superiority of North over the south adding that such statement is capable of heating up the political environment in the country.