“Jonathan is Doing Down Everyday, Obasanjo is Angry” – Asari Dokubo

Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, NDPVF, Alhaji Mujahideen Asari-Dokubo, yesterday continued his attack on President Goodluck Jonathan, saying it is unlikely he would return in 2015.

The NDPVF leader in an interview with journalists in Lagos, said his kinsman had lost the sympathy and support of well-meaning Nigerians.

The former President of Ijaw Youth Council, however added that it was not too late for Jonathan to reconcile with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He noted that if the president wanted to regain confidence of Nigerians, he should urgently deliver on his electioneering promises.

He also advised the number one citizen to do away with self seeking and selfish aides around him.

Asari-Dokubo further attacked the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, describing the latter’s reaction to his last interview as “arrant nonsense, rubbish and childish.”

“I don’t want to reply Abati, the famous author of crab theory, who was desperate to defend his boss just because he wants to justify his wages. What does Abati know? Am I struggling to be President in 2015?”

“What is the correlation between why is the East/West Road not being constructed and the poor performance of the Presidency, including the inability of President Jonathan to curb corruption in his administration and the crab theory by Abati?”

“Abati is just childish; his arguments were baseless, just struggling and managing to salvage the dwindling fortunes and sagging image of the Presidency.”

On the rift between the President and OBJ, Asari-Dokubo debunked claims of the Presidency which states the contrary: “Everybody knows that there is a quarrel. Has Obasanjo not been criticising Jonathan openly?

“Has Obasanjo not said that he was not prepared to keep quiet if things are wrong? Do you need to be told that there is a rift when Obasanjo, who took his position as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as between life and death suddenly gave up the job just like that?”

“Was it not reported that Obasanjo has threatened that Jonathan would not be president in 2015 and that he (Obasanjo) vowed to continue to criticise him (Jonathan)?”

Asari-Dokubo added that he was ready to assist Jonathan win again 2015. He however stated that the president was not very focused, and that the North could use the advantage of his inadequacies to defeat him.

“I am ready and willing to help him in 2015 but there is something wrong with him (Jonathan), he has been hijacked by some people and he is not doing anything to remove them. Jonathan is not on course at all. Jonathan is destroying his presidency”.

“For instance, he got to power majorly by the support of the social media that is the vehicle in which he was brought to power but as I am talking to you today, he has lost all his Facebook fans. He (Jonathan) is going down every day.”

“How can he (Jonathan) deliver when everybody around him are sabotaging him? The people around Jonathan are vicious but somebody like me will not keep quiet to allow Jonathan to lead us to avoidable bloodshed.”

Asked if he was ready for a truce with the Presidency, Asari-Dokubo stated, “I am not ready to be called by anybody because I went to him (Jonathan) many times to intimate him that his conduct would bring disgrace to us. I told him that my brother, you are not doing well. My conscience is very important to me, I cannot keep quiet at all, it
makes me sick.

“But I am and will continue to fight for him (Jonathan), for the Ijaw nation, the South/South and the deprived people, who stood by him (Jonathan). What Jonathan represents is greater than him.

“The Presidency does not need to reach out to me. Jonathan is not representing himself, Presidency is not the personal property of Jonathan; it is the property of those who died throughout the country to make him the president of Nigeria in 2011.”

The former militant leader described the former BoT Chairman of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih as “a liability to the Presidency,” saying it was unfortunate that Jonathan continued to associate with Anenih despite his “credibility baggage.”

“For me as a person, I believe in the sayings that ‘show me your friend, I will tell you who you are. For Goodluck Jonathan to continue to associate with Tony Anennih despite a series of allegations against him is unfortunate.”

“But there is a remedy for him (Jonathan) because he has two years more, ending on May 29, 2015, if he can make amends. Let him genuinely reconcile with Obasanjo, his benefactor, listen to and align with Nigerians, who elected him in 2011.”

“Let him severe and cut off the people around him, who never wished Nigeria and Nigerians well and redeem the battered image of his administration by delivering on his electioneering promises to Nigerians.”

“Jonathan should be prepared to fight injustice and corruption in the remaining two years and remove the deadwoods in his government and move the nation forward.

“All hopes are not lost if he can make amends but his chances of re-election in 2015 is slim and narrow if the present trends of inactivity by his administration continue.”