(NIGERIA) Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, today revealed that members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), attempted twice, to kill the president.
Abati specifically insisted that on the two occassion, MEND launched what he termed murderous assaults on places where the President was present.
According to a statement signed by Abati, it warned the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to be weary of the group’s recent endorsement of his candidature.
The statement reads; "While we thank all people of the Niger Delta, including the former militants whom MEND claims to represent, who have already disassociated themselves from the statement issued by the faceless Jomo Gbomo and reaffirmed their unflinching support for President Jonathan’s re-election, we will like to state that the latest assault on the President by Henry Okah and his stooges did not come as a surprise to us at all.
"It was very much to be expected, coming as it did from an individual and group who have never hidden their vengeful personal animosity against the President and who have even gone to the extent of launching murderous assaults on venues at which the President was present on two occasions.
“It is most regrettable indeed that rather than show remorse for the terrorist acts against his fatherland for which he is now rightly serving a term of imprisonment in South Africa, Henry Okah continues to pursue a pointless personal vendetta against President Jonathan who continues to advance and protect the interests of the people of the Niger Delta which Okah and his group threatened with their misguided actions.
“The vituperation against President Jonathan in the MEND statement endorsing General Buhari are mischievous, baseless and deliberately styled to denigrate the good works of the President.”
Abati further posited that attempt by Jomo Gbomo’s MEND to rewrite history by tarnishing the person of Jonathan for selfish, pecuniary and political gains would amount to an exercise in futility.
The special adviser added that all patriotic and right-thinking Nigerians must consider an endorsement from a convicted criminal and his group who harbour evil intentions against the unity and progress of their country as a poisoned chalice.
"The President therefore advises General Buhari not to place any stock on his purported endorsement by the renegade faction of MEND which is led by a convicted and unrepentant terrorist with whom no leader who truly means well for Nigeria should be associated," Abati added.
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