A militant group, Niger Delta Freedom Reserve Force, has declared its support for the presidential candidacy of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele at the All Progressives Congress (APC).
in shorts posted video On Facebook, the group said it settled on Emefiele after carefully checking the backgrounds of the other hopefuls in the race.
The group, which named General Jack Fineboy as its leader, said Emefiele is not a politician but a gentleman who will keep his words.
The group posted the video the same day (Friday) online. Newspaper; primebusiness.africa, reported that Mr. Emefiele had chosen the APC presidential nomination form.
The newspaper said the ruling party’s Finance Department confirmed that the form was handed over to the CBN chief on Friday.
But CBN’s governor denied this, saying he was still waiting for “God’s divine intervention” before deciding on the calls for his candidacy.
His statement came after months of speculation and denial about his interest in the nation’s highest office.
CBN had previously disassociated itself from reports that Emefiele was contemplating resigning from his post to join the 2023 presidential race.
CBN spokesman Osita Nwasinobi said leadership newspaper that the report was a distraction from the CBN’s focus on its mandate to care for monetary policies, financial stability and support government programs.
Several organizations, including this newspaper, had called for Emefiele’s resignation after his presidential campaign posters appeared.
PREMIUM TIMES in its February 21 editorial urged Emefiele to talk about his presidential ambition or resign because he did not publicly disavow any association with groups clamoring for his presidential candidacy.
The militants, five in number, appeared with their faces covered with white cloths and holding signs of Mr. Emefiele in their left hands and pistols in their right hands in the video that appears to have been filmed in the streams.
They promised to hand over their weapons and help authorities stop kidnappings and illegal oil supplies in the Niger Delta region if Emefiele is elected Nigeria’s president.
The militants said that their decision to support the Governor of the Central Bank followed a week of tours and consultations in the streams of the region.
“After a week-long tour in the streams of the Niger Delta and after due consultations and meetings, we, the Niger Delta Freedom Reserve Force, which is the only standing force in the region, wish to leave clear the following points:
“First of all, we must make it clear that we are not a force against the federal government or we are a separatist movement. We are campaigning for a better life and government inclusion. We have decided to join the process of politicking and we are tired of recycling politicians into the system.
“We made this decision because he has used his position to create programs to eradicate poverty and so many other programs in agriculture as well. We believe that given the opportunity, he will bring significant development and help the economy recover.
“We are ready to surrender our weapons in solidarity for the confirmation of Emefiele as a presidential candidate for the Congress of All Progressives. In turn, we will protect pipelines and help stop kidnapping and illegal fueling in the region.
“Finally, we call on those with the title of party delegates to the upcoming presidential primaries, when you come to Abuja while receiving your dollars, check your conscience and vote for Godwin Emefiele, who we strongly believe can solve the problems of this country. . and the Niger Delta.
Osita Nwanisobi, Emefiele’s spokesman, did not respond to requests for comment when contacted.
Last month, a similar group of streams in the Niger Delta aware a short video declaring support for the presidential candidacy of APC’s national leader, Bola Tinubu. They were all masked and armed with pistols in two speedboats.
The militants in that video said: “In 2023, we, the Niger deltas, the former agitators from Akwa Ibom, Rivers state, Cross River to Bayelsa, Delta state, Ondo and Edo. The person we want to work for and deliver to the coastline is Ahmed Tinibu. If Asiwaju leads, we follow him.”
Tosin Adeyanju, head of media and advertising for the Tinubu Support Group, on April 30, who described the militants as economic saboteurs, disassociated Tinibu from their activities.
Mr. Adeyanju, you made the repudiation in a statement posted on Facebook.
It is not clear whether Emefiele will also repudiate the group that has declared its support for his presidential candidacy.
