This was stated in a release by the group, saying a vote for the APC a “death trap” that would only unleash more sufferings and more economic hardship on Nigerians.
A South-South militants group, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) and its nine affiliates, have warned Nigerians to shun the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general elections to avoid a “frying pan to fire” situation.
This was stated in a release by the group, saying a vote for the APC a “death trap” that would only unleash more sufferings and more economic hardship on Nigerians.
The militants made the declaration at an emergency meeting conveyed by the group General Commanding Officer, Johnmark Ezon-Ebi, aka Obama, along with the leadership of the other nine militant groups that make up the RNDA in the deep creeks of Delta State.
According to the group's GCO, the region has remained backward, with little value added to the region's impoverished people under the APC, giving rise to a serious arms struggle.
The RNDA also recalled how military bombings caused devastation and destruction of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil facilities in the region.
According to the group, as a result of the ceasefire agreement reached with the Buhari-led administration and the RNDA, Nigeria's crude oil production output increased from 900,000 barrels per day to 1.1 million barrels per day, significantly assisting Nigeria to emerge from the deep economic recession experienced in 2016.
Ezon-Ebi said, “The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, with the coalition of nine militant groups entered into ceasefire agreement with the federal government on the 21st of August 2016, that led to the dialogue process with elders, stakeholders and traditional rulers from the region to halt the destruction of oil facilities and stop the attacking and bombing of major NNPC pipelines that led to the increased oil production at 900,000 barrels per day to the present 1.2 million barrels.
“This singular patriotic action by the RNDA contributed to the country to come out of the 2016 recession when the global oil price was at the sum of $35 to $40 dollar per barrel.
“Having critically examined the situation in the Niger Delta region from insecurity to infrastructural development, we have seen that there is no value added to the lives of the people as a lot of issues still negatively impact the lives and environment of the region.
“We demand drastic action and change of the narrative as we will not accept any form of neglect and exploitation, and if this is not done we will have no option left than to return with unusual hostilities that would ground the entire economy, if we fold our arms and allow this unpatriotic party called APC that does not have any single sincerity for the common ordinary Nigerians to rule us again, we label any vote for the APC as a vote of death trap as more sufferings and more economic hardship would be meted to Nigerians and that would not be allowed to happen under our eyes in the creek.
“But we have weighed all the presidential candidates, from Bola Tinubu of APC to Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP, to Peter Obi of Labour Party and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Therefore we come out to declare our full support and throw our weight behind the candidature of former Vice President, Atiku. We call on Nigerians to be wise not to fall into fire from frying pan which they are now. We do not have any option than to do everything humanly possible to vote out the APC come February 25.”