Edwin Clark, a national leader of the Ijaw people and the coordinator of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has criticized Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for flying a Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying if he were to vote, he would vote for the All Progressives Congress for zoning the Presidency to the South but withdrawn its support because the Muslim-Muslim ticket for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, despite national outcry.
Recall that while announcing Kashim Shettima as his running partner on Sunday, July 10, Tinubu stated that he made the decision “in the spirit of 1993,” when Nigerians “embraced Chief MKO Abiola and a fellow Muslim running mate.”
Clark, who is also the Convener of Pan-Niger Delta Forum and former Federal Information Commissioner of the First Republic, also gave an insight into why he withdrew his support for the Peoples Democratic Party.
The elder statesman also revealed how the Northern PDP governors contributed money towards the success of the President, Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 election.
According to him, the North squandered Jonathan’s money, betrayed and deceived him after assuring him of victory in the 2015 election.
Clark stated these during a solidarity visit to him by members of the Delta Central APC Leaders of Thought led by Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi.
The DECALT leader said they were in the Abuja residence of Clark to find out their political direction in the 2023 general election.
Clark said, “We are saying that up till today, we still believe in a Southern President. So that’s why some of us have said the APC that we never wanted to talk about is the one that has listened to us by zoning the Presidency to the south?
“Because I am an old man of 95, I no longer belong to a political party. Whereas if I were to vote, and you put only two parties, APC and PDP, I will vote for APC for zoning the presidency to the south and listening to our appeal.
“The governors of the states, they feel they are so powerful. But the only thing your party has done that has made me to withdraw my support, is its Muslim-Muslim ticket. I won’t talk about it.
“Jonathan was the President for some time. The Northerners said it was their turn. In 2015, the Northern PDP leaders ganged up with APC to remove Jonathan from office. They didn’t campaign. Jonathan was on his own.
“So when people ask why Jonathan is not in PDP now, and not attending PDP meetings, I can simply say that he is learning his lessons that the people he trusted did not trust him. They squandered his money, the party’s money and they left.
“So when people ask, why is Jonathan not in PDP? he knows how they betrayed him; the Northern PDP governors contributed money towards Buhari’s success. How members of his government betrayed him.
“The national chairman of the PDP at the time, Dr. (Adamu) Muazu, did not go to his home to campaign. He was only following Jonathan about. He knew what he was doing. Every one of them wanted Buhari to win, so Buhari won.
“He has ruled for eight years. Now the same Northern leaders are now saying, competence, no zoning, integrity, no zoning. We thought it was a play but they maneuvered in PDP’s Mr. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who have been wanting to be Nigeria’s President over the years, championing the cause of division. So PDP, a party we loved, a party of Southern Nigeria, disappointed us.
Clark also shed light on how Atiku and governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State jettisoned the agitation by PDP for the zoning of the Presidency to the South in 2023.
He said, “We all own this country. We didn’t come to settle with Northerners. It was Luggard who joined us in 1914. So, we stood by this. The governors then went to Lagos and said the same thing. They went to Enugu again in August and they affirmed the same thing.
“Several times we met here and before the PDP had their primary, we met here again and repeated the same thing.
“Our own Governor (Okowa) initiated the meeting. If you agreed for a meeting to be held in your house and you backed out thereafter, you have betrayed your colleagues. Isn’t it?
“Who is Atiku that thinks that he is very important? That people like us when we speak, he will not listen? A good leader must be the one that listens to calls. So if you become President, what will you do?
Are we right? Will you support us?”
Clark also accused the APC of excluding sections of the country. He added;
“It is illusion to think that except one is from the north, you may not win election. So, the idea that unless you come from the north or you are a Muslim, or a Muslim supports you if you are not a Muslim, you cannot win an election, should immediately be jettisoned by proponents of such an idea. The north needs the south to be in power, same way the south needs the north to be in power. No part can do it alone.
“About 46% or more of Nigerians are Christians. Yet a group of persons want to sideline and exclude them from the affairs of the country. This is not possible.
“The question is, is Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu under pressure from these his core supporters and backers, to pick a Muslim as his running-mate, and did he cave in to the pressure because “it is his turn to be President of Nigeria”, despite complaints and protestations?
“The PDP is the cause of these things because of its refusal to zone its presidency to the south.
“These are dangerous signals. Alhaji Ahmed Tinubu cannot compare 2022/2023 with 1993. In 1993, majority of Nigerians, on their own volition, supported the Muslim/Muslim ticket of M.K.O. Abiola and Babagana Kingibe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as President and Vice President, 29 years ago.
“It was not shoved on them; it was not forced on them. Also, during that period, Nigeria was not so divided on ethnic and religious divides. If people are complaining, a good leader should listen. Unfortunately, we have leaders who not only ignore the concerns of the people with impunity, but also make crass statements.”
