MOSOP - The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People has criticised the purported endorsement of the sponsor of the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, by the party’s chairman as a disappointing conspiracy against the Ogoni gubernatorial quest, saying that the party’s position was of grave concern to the people of Ogoni.
The President of MOSOP, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara while reacting to some comments directing to the Obuah-led faction of PDP in the state, said the people of Ogoni consider the position as appalling and shameful.
Pyagbara appealed to the national leadership of the PDP to call its factional chairman in Rivers State, Felix Obuah to order, explaining that the group views the comment as not only a deliberate infringement on fairness but also politically insensitive, out-of-touch with the yearnings of the people of the state, and unfortunate.
According to him, “it is clear that the Ogoni governorship quest is most popular, widely accepted and overwhelmingly supported within and outside Rivers State”.
According to him, “the PDP would be losing a golden opportunity to monopolize and secure to its electoral advantage the huge Ogoni voting strength, if it fails to commit her platform to any Ogoni seeking to govern Rivers State come 2015”.
“The sustained unguarded and inflammable utterances and actions of the PDP state chairman, demonstrably betrays a devious attempt at scuttling Ogoni political interest and it is unacceptable. If the untoward development is not addressed, it would require inflexible Ogoni response”, he warned.
“We are aware that Obuah is acting a script as we know the forces at play. However, the stance reflects an implicit admission of what we have all along been suspecting. Nonetheless, we would like to warn that Ogoni will refuse to be confined to being heavers of water and fetchers of wood in a state that we are not inferior but eminently qualified”, he noted
He noted that the Obuah-led PDP insistence on depriving Ogoni of her deserved berth at the office of governor of the state come 2015 meant that the red line has been crossed, and would no doubt provoke tough, decisive response as the people will not continue to be political passersby in the state.
The MOSOP chief said it would be unfair that while Rivers West and East senatorial districts have produced governors of the state, for two terms each under zoning understanding, efforts are being made to deny Rivers South East Senatorial District of the opportunity others have enjoyed.
”The Obuah/Wike’s intention to scuttle the political understanding in the state is definitely anti-Ikwerre and his party. MOSOP feels the PDP chairman’s action negates internal democracy and paints the platform in bad light”, .he said.
Pyagbara, however, warned that MOSOP would pursue the course of an Ogoni becoming governor in 2015 with the same vigour, collectivism, and non-violence with which it fought environmental injustice in addition to effective mobilization of the Ogoni society.
He said the people would resist temptations to be swayed, adding that MOSOP will continue to stick to her avowed commitment to peaceful advocacy for the rights of the Ogoni.
“Let it be known that Ogoni will support any political party in Nigeria that provides her platform for the actualization of the Ogoni quest for the position of governor of Rivers State in 2015”, he said. – THE TIDE
