2015: Presidency disowns Asari-Dokubo

The Presidency on Monday defended one of its own, Kingsley Kuku, over a recent statement credited to him to the effect that the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 will be the only condition for sustained peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
But Abuja in the same breath disowned founder of the outlawed Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, over similar statement, saying his drum beats on the 2015 elections “should be ignored by Nigerians who are conversant with his antecedents.”
At separate fora, the duo were reported to have threatened that Nigeria would not know peace if the President was not re-elected come 2015.
Kuku, the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta and chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Office, was reported to have made the statement in the United States last week while addressing State Department officials.
Although he has denied making such a statement linking peace in the Niger Delta region to the second coming of Jonathan, Asari-Dokubo has remained unremorseful, daring the nation’s security agencies to come after him.
“I stand by my statement. There will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta, but everywhere, if Goodluck Jonathan is not President by 2015,” he had responded following hostile reactions to his earlier threats.
However, Political Adviser to the President, Ali Ahmed Gulak, told Daily Independent on Monday that the controversies generated by the statements were “unwarranted and politicised in many respects; hence, there is the need to put the records straight and let Nigerians know that the Presidency does not promote violence.”

“From many quarters, insinuations have come that Mr. President is encouraging his kinsmen to threaten violence; I say without any equivocation that this is absolutely untrue and unduly politicised by those who seek cheap relevance and hide under the opposition to ventilate ignoble comments.
“For purposes of clarification, however, it has become very necessary for us to state that there is the need to separate these two statements allegedly made by the Presidential Adviser and Asari-Dokubo.
“Apart from the fact that both statements are not the same, hence do not deserve the same treatment, it is important to state that Kuku, who oversees the Presidential Amnesty Office was grossly misquoted and deliberately misinterpreted out of context.
“This is said with utmost sincerity because we have cross checked the facts relating to what he said in the United States and we are convinced that he said just what is real and purposeful, that just like other Nigerians, President Jonathan should not be denied the opportunity to run in 2015 if and when he so decides.
“Kuku, unlike Dokubo, did not say there will be crisis if President Jonathan is not re-elected.
“Of course, we all know that the right to accept or reject anyone at the poll rests with the voters who are the ordinary Nigerians.
“However, it is very vital to state with every sense of responsibility that the views expressed by Dokubo do not enjoy the support of the Presidency, neither do such views or comments represent anything near democracy and the rule of law.
“Therefore, Dokubo should be ignored by Nigerians who are conversant with his antecedents. Here is a man, who just a few months ago took the person of the President and high ranking officials to the cleaners for no just cause,” Gulak said.
He added: “Unlike Kuku, who was quoted out of context, Dokubo is an unserious fellow who speaks from both sides of the mouth even from the highest bidder.
“Nigerians are therefore urged to disregard whatever he says and ignore him as not representing the views of the government.”
Many groups, organisations and individuals, including the House of Representatives and Niger State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, had condemned Kuku and Asari-Dokubo for their statements.
Indeed, the House last week urged the Inspector General (IG) of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to probe Asari-Dokubo and Kuku for their inflammatory utterances following a motion moved by member representing Dala Federal Constituency of Kano State, Aliyu Madaki.
But the Ijaw Republican Assembly supported the controversial comments. Spokesperson of the group, Annkio Briggs, said the statements credited to Kuku and Dokubo represented the aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.
Also on Monday, Ijaw National Leader, Edwin Clark, came down heavily on the House of Representatives over its resolution ordering the arrest of Kuku and Asari-Dokubo.
Clark, in a petition to Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal, berated the House leadership and members for allegedly ignoring previous provocative statements by some Northern leaders about 2015 Presidential election.