The Leader of of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, vowed on Wednesday that the people of Niger Delta would avenge the attack on President Goodluck Jonathan and his entourage on Tuesday by those believed to be members of the All Progressives Congress in Katsina State where he went for presidential campaign.
Asari-Dokubo, who made the vow in Abuja, equally advised the Igbos, who currently reside in the North, to return home as they would have themselves to blame should anything happen to them.
The Leader of the NDVF faulted the Abuja peace accord entered into by President Jonathan; the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari; and 12 others, pointing out that it was unnecessary.
He reasoned that the oath taken by Jonathan to protect lives and properties and abide by the constitution of the land supersedes any other accord.
Asari-Dokubo said that the North has always had the penchant for causing election violence.
His words: “There is an established pattern of pre and post election violence in the North.
“In the 50s, when late Obafemi Awolowo was campaigning in the North, he went with helicopters and he was mocked. People said he was flying over the houses and peeping into their wives.
“That has continued and everywhere in the country, people say leave them alone. We don’t want any trouble.
“But I think the game has changed. The rules of the game have changed.
“For every action, there will be an opposite and equal reaction.
“I knew that the signing of the accord was useless. That the President subjected himself to sign such an accord, for me, it was out of place.
“It was out of place for a president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of a country. But the president is a humble person. He does things that even marvel some of us and make us sometimes to be very angry.
“To be frank, I was very angry on that day they were signing it.
“The President has sworn to protect the lives of every Nigerian. So, why would he, after taking a constitutional oath, subject himself to another oath?
“So what happened in Katsina State is not a surprise.
“But don’t be surprised. We are putting the world on notice that they have started first.
“When we reply, let nobody talk. Because we are going to reply. We did not sign any accord with them. They did not sign.
“They are talking about election violence now because they know that other people will respond.
“Before, they had the monopoly of violence, so nobody cared who died. Our lives were not valuable and they had all the latitude to wreck havoc and did what they liked.
“But the game has changed. Everybody should be bold enough to tell them that game has changed.
“If they slice our throat, we are going to slice their throat. They stoned the president, you will hear from us. That’s the answer.
“My concern is what happens after the election because we know they will do what they are known to do every time.
“But this time, they will cry. So all Igbo people who are there, if you don’t come back home and you want to continue to be there and something happens to you, there is nobody to be blamed.
“If you have a child who is a youth corper and you allow him to be there, you will not hold anybody responsible.”
Asari-Dokubo expressed optimism that Jonathan would win the February polls.
According to him: “There is no way Goodluck will not win the election. We will win them and we know they are preparing for violence in consonance with some foreign powers.
“When they do that, we will respond disproportionately. We will respond. That’s what we are going to do.
“If you hit me with a stick, I am going to hit you with iron. I am not speaking in riddles. I am speaking in plain language.
“My English may not be very good. I am speaking in my own street language. We are going to respond disproportionately.
“The people who are in Katsina, who did not hold their children, should also know that I will not hold my children.”