Nigeria: Tension Mounts In Rivers As Militants Brace For War
Akanimo Sampson
Bureau Chief,Port Harcourt
DESPITE the heightened security activities in Rivers State, one of Nigeria's major oil and gas-producing states in the
Niger Delta region, ahead of this Saturday's presidential polls, there is still an air of uncertainties in the
state.Militants on Thursday said they can no longer guarantee the safety of electoral officials in the state.
The rampaging militant cells in the oil region, particularly those of Rivers State, do not seem to be comfortable with
the outcome of the April 14 governorship elections in the state. They are insisting that votings were largely ''rigged''
in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
For the militants, the PDP administration in Rivers State is responsible for the travails of their ''Supreme Leader''
Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari. Dokubo-Asari is being allegedly held under a dehumanising condition by the Nigerian
government in an underground cell.
Consequently, the Niger Delta People’s Salvation Front, a political wing of the militants as well as the Niger Delta
People’s Volunteer Force are currently kicking against the Coalition of Political Parties (CPP) led by one Mr Mike
Nweilaghi, for commending the elections in Rivers state as ''free and fair'' and endorsing the claim by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) that PDP’s Celestine Omehia is the winner of the election.
''We wish to inform all people that the CPP is a fifth columnist creation of the dubious PDP government of Rivers State
, a band of money hungry non-achieving little politicians whose only goal is to earn a few pennies from the Peter Odili
led government'', says Arga-Mem-Non, the joint spokesman of the groups.
They are therefore, calling on Rivers people to reject and condemn such people and groups ''whose only calling is dumb
sycophancy and political prostitution. It is a shame that in an age where the Niger Delta people seek leaders who can
stand up for truth and justice in the face of grim persecution, groups like the so-called CPP, a harried contraption of
non-achieving nit-wits will be allowed to disgrace the collective integrity of Rivers people''.
According to them, ''this must not be allowed. We are calling on all real opposition parties in Rivers State to rise up
and reject the satanic fraud perpetrated by INEC''. They, however, added, ''on our own, we wish to state that we can no
longer guarantee the safety of INEC and its commissioner in Rivers State''.
ENDS