A Niger Delta activist and spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ms. Annkio Briggs, has described the emergence of a former Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in Rivers State as unfair.
She said Wike is of the same ethnicity as the incumbent Governor Rotimi Amaechi he plans to succeed.
Briggs, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, alleged that other ethnic nationalities had been marginalised by Wike’s candidature.
She said, "Look at what is happening in Rivers State today. Amaechi, who is from Ikwerre, is leaving power and Nyesom Wike, another Ikwerre man, wants to come and take over from him in a place where you have the Ogonis, the Ijaws and other people.
"Ikwerres cannot govern twice (consecutively). I don't care whether he's fighting for the President; we're all fighting for and protecting the President. The other ethnic groups in Rivers State are not happy that an Ikwerre man may take over from another. It is not that we don’t like Ikwerre people; it is not fair or just.
"It is also not fair that some northerners like Buhari are pitting us against Jonathan, saying he is from the South-South and it is their turn (to rule); using all kinds of excuses to confuse the system," she said.
Briggs also accused the All Progressives Congress’ presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), of pitting the people of the South-South against President Goodluck Jonathan.
She noted that the problems bedeviling the country could be linked to its ethnic and religious diversity.
According to the activist, every Christian president has denied the fact that the country has religious issues. She claimed that the problems currently facing Nigeria were based on Jonathan being a Christian and from the South-South.
Briggs added, "If anybody is pretending that it is not along the lines of religious and ethnic considerations, that person is not being fair to Nigeria. Everything that is happening today in Nigeria, whether we are talking about corruption or lawlessness, is based on ethnicity and religion, as far as I am concerned."
Credit: Punch
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