…Rallies support for at Okowa
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) Youth Wing have disassociated themselves from the endorsement of Labour Party( LP) Presidential standard bearer, Mr Peter Obi by its parent body declaring that it was done without due process and proper consultation.
They also condemned the sustained attacks against the governor of Delta State and the Vice- President candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Okowa which they said is against the objectives of PANDEF.
The National Deputy Youth leader of PANDEF, Olorogun Vincent Oghenerwiemu Oyibode, General Don Ben (Edo), Chief Ani Wsin (Cross Rivers), Henry George (Rivers), Victor Asukwo (Akwa Ibom), Chief Sylvester Okumagba(Delta) and Berenengia Samuel (Bayelsa) in a press conference addressed in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital stated that the endorsement of Obi is against PANDEF Constitution, Article 1( 1) which stipulates PANDEF is non-political , non-partisan and non-religious.
“There is no time PANDEF ever held a meeting to debate the need to participate or take a position as a group in the 2023 general elections and that those who purported attended that meeting spoke for themselves and not PANDEF and the South- South region of the Niger Delta,” the group stated.
While pointing out that Atiku Abubakar has been in the forefront for calls on restructuring, they called on the people of the South- South to support the PDP in the February 25 presidential election.
The statement reads in part,” In the spirit of oneness, unity and love and as people of the Niger Delta, as enshrined in PANDEF constitution, we condemn in its entirety the attack on Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and the call for him to resign from being Vice- Presidential candidate of the PDP.
“PANDEF as the apex umbrella body of the Niger Delta people is constitutionally bound to support any son of daughter of the region who aspires to position of higher authority which in this instance, the Vice Presidential ticket was generously offered by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP to Okowa of Delta State, a true Son of the Niger Delta who is poised to defend the interest of the region in the coming dispensation, if the PDP emerges as the winner of the 2023 presidential elections.
“We, the youth wing of PANDEF, appreciate the PDP as the only political party who considers the South-South region for such a position of authority in the coming election. This places him in a vantage position to be the eye of the Niger Delta in Aso Rock from May 29, 2023. And that we therefore call on all true sons and daughters of the region to patriotically support Senator Ifeanyi Okowa by supporting the PDP which is known as the South-South political party to victory in the coming poll.
“And that those few individual members of the National EXCO of PANDEF who purportedly issue the statement of endorsement of Peter Obi do not have the interest of the Niger Delta region because they disobeyed the constitution of PANDEF by nominating themselves into the Peter Obi campaign organisation.”