Former militant leader Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, on Monday warned that his fellow ex-comrades at arms in the oil-rich Niger Delta would cripple the Nigerian economy and make the country ungovernable if President Goodluck Jonathan failed to secure a second term ticket in the 2015 presidential election.
Asari-Dokubo, in an interview with National Mirror, insisted that the South-South region must be allowed to have an uninterrupted eight year term as guaranteed by the constitution, warning that anything short of that is a call to anarchy.
He also advised northerners not to seek election into the presidency on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the main opposition political group, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Asari-Dokubo, however, conceded to the APC, the right to field a presidential candidate from the South-South to challenge Jonathan in the election. He added that people of the Niger Delta would not accept defeat of Jonathan even in a free and fair contest as he must govern the country beyond 2015.
He said: “If it is war the North wants, we are ready for them because Jonathan must complete the mandatory constitutionally allowable two terms of eight years. At home, we have regrouped and we have put our people at alert.
“In less than one hour, the way we would strike, the world will be shocked. If anybody does anything against Jonathan, we will retaliate. What we will do will shock the whole world. We will cripple the economy of the country not only in the creeks, but also on the nation’s territorial waters, no vessel will be allowed to enter Nigeria’s territorial waters.
“Let them not try anything. If they abuse Jonathan, there is no problem, he is their President but anything that will affect the interest of the Ijaw people and the interest of the entire people of the Niger Delta will be resisted at any cost.”
Asari-Dokubo also vowed that the defeat of the president in a free and fair election would trigger crisis.
His words: Jonathan cannot be defeated, they cannot defeat him, they don’t have the right, every part of the country must have equal stake in the presidency of the country.
“Let them go and sleep in their houses. If they don’t, they are looking for trouble and we are going to give it to them. It will make better sense if APC picks its presidential candidate from the South- South. With that, there will be no battle for us to fight and it will make it easier for us. Whichever way it goes, it will enable us to continue our right of uninterrupted rule of eight years, which is the minimum constitutional requirement.
“They cannot take that from the South-South and we will not accept it because every part of the country must have equal access to the various institutions of government, especially at the federal level”, he added.
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