2015: Group Drums Support For Ogonis

A socio-political
organisation, the Ijaw Justice Forum (IJF) has said it will support an Ogoni candidate as Governor of Rivers State in the 2015 general elections in appreciation of their contributions to the Niger Delta struggle.
The President of the forum, Comrade Tom Douglas, who stated this last Friday in a statement, said it would be unjust to deny the people of  South East Senatorial district the governorship slot in 2015.
The group urged Rivers people to prioritise the sustenance of the existing zoning arrangement in the political landscape of the state and allow the South East to produce the next governor of the state.
Douglas said those advocating for an Ijaw Governor in Rivers State come 2015, were not in the interest of the state rather for their selfish interest.
“Those calling for the zoning of the 2015 governorship election to an Ijaw son fail to understand that there was no longer upland and riverine dichotomy in Rivers State”, he said.
According to him, it will be unjust to deprive the people of Rivers South-East Senatorial District governorship in 2015, stressing that the forum would support an Ogoni candidate in appreciation of their contributions to the Niger Delta struggle for which the Ijaws had benefited immensely.
“The Ogoni people of Rivers State contributed to the Niger Delta struggle which resulted to the creation of OMPADEC and later NDDC as well as the 13 per cent derivation principle.  It will be wrong to deprive these same people the governorship position now that it has naturally shifted to their senatorial zone”, the statement explained.
While emphasising that the present political crisis will not favour the people of Niger Delta, the forum advised stakeholders in the region to preach peace and love, assuring that President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi will sort out their political differences when the time comes.
On the proposed National Conference, the statement said the unity of Nigeria was imperative but such unity must recognize equity and social justice for all federating units, especially the minorities.