Buhari: MEND under fire over endorsement

Former militant leaders, includ­ing the leadership of the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) and the Niger Delta Libera­tion Force (NDLF) have slammed the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) over its reported endorse­ment of General Mu­hammadu Buhari for the February 14 presidential election.

One of the former militant leaders, who served as the Up­per Senate leader of MEND before they embraced amnesty, Eris Paul, said the endorse­ment of Buhari by those be­hind MEND was a clear call on the Niger Delta people to be ready for war against invading political elements sponsored by the All Progressives Con­gress (APC).

Paul, who led other former militant leaders in a protest march in Yenagoa yesterday, accused MEND of being bribed $500,000 by a former governor and a serving gover­nor in South-South to embark on the endorsement so as to trigger a orgy of violence in the region.