A former militant group, Niger Delta Liberation Movement, has endorsed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At the end of a meeting that lasted over six hours in Egbema, Delta State on Friday, the group vowed “to clear any obstacle that will hinder the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.”
Spokesperson for the group, Amabiri Andabiri told journalists that their preference for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was “in view of his political steadfastness unlike other political gladiators who go into hiding in other countries after failing elections.”
The group noted that among all the presidential candidates, only Tinubu was known to be fully resident among the people in the place they had earlier governed or elected, one way or the other.
Andabiri said, “We, the Niger Delta Liberation Movement with over one million registered members of Niger Delta youths, hereby endorse Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for President come February 25.
“After the amnesty in the year 2009, when the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta and other ex-militant groups abandoned the cause of the Niger Delta and accepted the fallacious amnesty programme, this group has been on the ground safeguarding the length and breadth of the Niger Delta region.
“Today, we met and agreed to mobilise everything within our power to see Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerge as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come February 25.
This is because Asiwaju is not like other political gladiators who go into hiding in other countries after failing elections.
The group also stated that the support given to Tinubu is as result of being an in-law from Ayakoromor community in Delta State.
“Apart from the fact that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu married an Itsekiri woman, his elder brother is also married to an Ijaw woman from Ayakoromor in Delta State. Even Asiwaju’s son, Seyi Tinubu is married to an Igbo woman in the South-East.
“So, these are our people because by marriage, we are brothers and sisters; and with the capacity and people around Tinubu, we are convinced that he will be a good President.
“We will also mobilise millions of supporters to vote for him because this group is in talks with ex-MEND and other top militant groups to come together and work for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the group added.
