The National President of Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC) Worldwide, Jonathan Lokpobiri said the suspended National Secretary of the IYC, Maobuye Nangi Obu should be held responsible for the killings in Aboluama community during the IYC Eastern Zone election.
In an interview with our medium via telephone, Lokpobiri sets the records straight on what transpired during the recent election of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in Abuloma, Rivers State, which turned violent, resulting in the loss of lives, and shared his account of the events leading to the tragic incident.
According to Lokpobiri, tensions rose when a group, led by the National Secretary, Maobuye Nangi and his allies, attempted to disrupt the election.
The National Secretary had allegedly made false accusations that Lokpobiri was supporting a particular candidate, backed by the Minister of Petroleum and Federal Capital Territory, Minister Nyesom Wike.
Lokpobiri denied these claims, stating that his role was to supervise the election, not influence the outcome, stating despite efforts to resolve issues and ensure a peaceful process, the National Secretary and his followers continued to stir up violence.
He said ” We accepted Aboluma because the King of Aboluma is a retired general who has military security and the community has enough security to ensure that troubles that happen in other areas don’t happen in the community. When they chose Aboluma I also called the King and he assured them of enough security. So before the election, I now pleaded with my leader(Asari) that please I had no interest.
” So before the election, we agreed that let all stakeholders meet to resolve all the contending issues but this dissident within my exco refused to attend to state his grievances when all other stakeholders like Ankio Briggs and Dr. Asariegbe and INC officers attended where contending issues were resolved.
” Part of the pretext was that I was not supporting their Governor Similaiyi Fubara of Rivers State Little did they know that I was the one who even begged them to rally around their brother. It Wii please the world to know that during the crisis in the state during the impeachment I mobilized Ijaw youths and we spent one week in Port Harcourt.
” All this while they never knew Wike and my brother the minister of Petroleum are friends. But because of bitterness they can’t listen to the messages of wisdom and then this Nangi on the day of the election came physically to disrupt the election it was the Nangi who killed the military which led to the invasion of the election and the killing of our youths.
” If you ask Nangi, he knows who he called to come and kill our people. Due to my integrity and said you would rather kill me if you do not allow the election to be conducted and you know the irony of it their own candidate whom they have no confidence won the election and before the victory, they have already killed people. I have no hand, I am a very peaceful person”.
Lokpobiri emphasized his commitment to peace and fairness, stating, “I am a very peaceful person… I wanted to ensure that the election was conducted in a transparent and democratic manner.”
The IYC National President pointed to Nangi, a cousin of IYC leader Asari Dokubo, as the mastermind behind the violence. “Nangi knows who he called to come and kill our youths”