Presidential Election: Peter Obi Splits Niger Delta Youth Forum

The upcoming presidential election is becoming more intriguing by the day with the candidacy of Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi splitting the ranks of Niger Delta youths.

The Niger Delta youths under the aegis of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) just issued a statement dissociating itself from an earlier position of its parent body, endorsing Obi’s candidacy

This latest stance is a fallout of an emergency meeting in Yenagoa yesterday, where the youth wing berated those who allegedly endorsed the Labour Party presidential candidate.

It said those who endorsed Obi for the presidential election, at a meeting of the southern Nigeria and Middle Belt Leaders, acted on their own.

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They claimed that Obi’s endorsers did so without due consultations with stakeholders particularly the youth body of PANDEF comprising national officers and state chapters chairmen.

“There was no time PANDEF ever held a meeting to debate the need to participate or take a position as a group on the 2023 general elections and that those who purportedly endorse Obi at that meeting spoke for themselves and not PANDEF and the South-South region of the Niger Delta:, the youth wing held, adding:

“That the major focus of PANDEF is to promote sons and daughters of the region on issues of public interest that bear direct and indirect impact on the well-being of the Niger Delta people as that is the constitutional aim and objective of the PANDEF Constitution.

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“That the same persons, without any meeting with stakeholders have given ultimatum to a son of the Niger Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, the Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to drop his ambition for reasons best known to them and that this does not have the blessing of the youths of region.”

The communiqué was issued after the meeting allegedly presided over by the National Deputy Youth Leader, Mr Vincent Oyibode, and signed by Edo Youth Leader, Mr Don Ben; Rivers Youth Leader, Mr Henry George; Akwa Ibom Youth Leader, Mr Victor Asuquo; Cross River Youth Leader, Chief Ani Esin; Delta State Youth Leader, Chief Sylvester Okumagba and Bayelsa Youth Leader, Mr Berenengia Samuel.

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According to the body, endorsing Obi would be acting against the spirit and letters of the PANDEF Constitution as expressed in Article 1 (1).

The youths wind added that the article stipulates that PANDEF as a non-political, non-partisan and non-religious organisation of the Niger Delta people, and that all national executive officers and state chapters chairmen must be present for resolutions on sensitive issues like the one under consideration  to be agreed.