Asari Dokubo accuses Yorubas of betrayal despite supporting Tinubu, calls for alliance with the North.
Asari Dokubo, a well-known Niger Delta militant leader, has recently accused the Yoruba people of betrayal, despite his previous support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Dokubo expressed frustration, claiming the Yoruba have not shown the expected level of loyalty. He is now advocating for an alliance with Nigeria’s northern regions, suggesting that such a partnership would better serve the interests of the Niger Delta and foster a more supportive political environment.
The Former militant leader reiterates that the Yoruba community betrays the Ijaw and Niger Delta people despite their support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 General election.
Asari Dokubo expresses his regrets to former Rivers State Governor Melford Okilo and other regional leaders for doubting their past decisions to ally with the North.
The former militants emphasized that the Ijaw and Niger Delta people will no longer work with the Yoruba, whom he labeled as “betrayers.”
“From today, I will work to form an alliance with the north to crụsh any other opposition. I’m disappointed in Tinubu”
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Asari Dokubo pledged that the Niger Delta would focus on strengthening ties with the northern region, forming a lasting alliance.
He said, “I apologize to our fathers Melford Okilo and Prieye that they were not wrong for forming an alliance with the North, and as young men, we will now start same alliance with the North now.
“As from today, I will work! Work! To form alliance with the North and crush any other opposition, because for those who hate us, we do not mean anything to them. Whatever Ijaw people do does not mean anything to them.
“All over Ijaw land, we will spread the message that it is only northerners who can work with Ijaw people !…. We cannot work with Yoruba people they are betrayers !!!….. We risked our lives, voted, and did everything and this is what we get ?”
His lamentation is said to be unconnected to the President Tinubu’s recent decision to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday through a statement issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga announced the scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.
The statement read, “President Tinubu and Federal Executive Council scrap Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of sports development.
“There will now be a ministry of regional development to oversee all the regional development commissions, such as Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, North East Development Commission.”
The Niger Delta Ministry was also established under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to address environmental degradation and promote youth development.
He gave emphasis on the intention of the previous administration of The Yar’Adua government that created reated The Presidential Amnesty Programme to transform ex-agitators into entrepreneurs and/or employable citizens who will become net contributors to the economy of the region and the country.
As part of Yar’adua amnesty incentives, the federal government awarded massive cash rewards to Asari and other terror leaders of the Niger Delta.
Asari received an annual cash payment of US$10 million a year from Abuja as part of the federal “pipeline security protection fee” to protect the Rivers State pipelines and creeks that the militants bombed, kidnapped and killed the workers and guards in the areas.
Asari Dokubo, a prominent Niger Delta militant leader, has recently accused the Yoruba people of betrayal, particularly in the context of their political alliance with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president of Nigeria. Despite his past support for Tinubu, Dokubo is now expressing disillusionment with the Yoruba, claiming they have not reciprocated the support expected from them. He has called for an alliance with the northern regions of Nigeria instead, suggesting that such a partnership could better serve the interests of the Niger Delta and provide a more favorable political environment.
Dokubo’s statements reflect ongoing ethnic and regional tensions in Nigeria’s political landscape, highlighting the complexities of alliances and the often volatile nature of political loyalty in the country. His comments may also indicate a strategic shift as he seeks to navigate the current political climate in Nigeria.
His remarks highlight the enduring ethnic and regional tensions In Nigeria’s political landscape, underscoring the complexities of alliances and the shifting nature of political loyalty in the country.