By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
Says Nigerian presidency is not the birthright of Kaita’s family …
Annkio Briggs is undoubtedly one of the leading female activists to have come out from the Niger Delta region. President of the Agape Birthright, spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and also the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), Briggs in this interview responds to issues concerning the 2015 presidential election and assertions by some Ijaw activists on the sustenance of the Jonathan presidency. Excerpts:
MUST it be violence for violence?
We are human beings and if we continue to sit down and allow a certain group of people to say certain things and laugh it over, then what is happening today is what will happen, then I too can say it and people can laugh over it.
If President Jonathan decides not to contest, then what would you do?
The decision to contest or not to contest is Jonathan’s. If for instance, the Niger Delta people agree that Jonathan should contest and he says he is not going to contest, that is his choice. It is his choice and that is the point I am making which is that it is not the choice of Kaita or Buhari or anybody to tell Nigerians who to vote for.
As a civil right activist, are you satisfied with the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan?
I am on record of complaining about so many things about Jonathan’s presidency so far, so let people go back and look at those statements.
Retraction of statement
I stand by every one of my statements. I am not retracting anything. The only time I will retract anything is if the condition that led to that statement changes, then I will change my position. Nobody is saying that Jonathan’s government is perfect. Nobody has said that. I have criticised it and I have used the Niger Delta as a yardstick to measure his performance and I have said it very clearly.
Says Nigerian presidency is not the birthright of Kaita’s family …
Annkio Briggs is undoubtedly one of the leading female activists to have come out from the Niger Delta region. President of the Agape Birthright, spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA) and also the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), Briggs in this interview responds to issues concerning the 2015 presidential election and assertions by some Ijaw activists on the sustenance of the Jonathan presidency. Excerpts:
MUST it be violence for violence?
We are human beings and if we continue to sit down and allow a certain group of people to say certain things and laugh it over, then what is happening today is what will happen, then I too can say it and people can laugh over it.
If President Jonathan decides not to contest, then what would you do?
The decision to contest or not to contest is Jonathan’s. If for instance, the Niger Delta people agree that Jonathan should contest and he says he is not going to contest, that is his choice. It is his choice and that is the point I am making which is that it is not the choice of Kaita or Buhari or anybody to tell Nigerians who to vote for.
As a civil right activist, are you satisfied with the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan?
I am on record of complaining about so many things about Jonathan’s presidency so far, so let people go back and look at those statements.
Retraction of statement
I stand by every one of my statements. I am not retracting anything. The only time I will retract anything is if the condition that led to that statement changes, then I will change my position. Nobody is saying that Jonathan’s government is perfect. Nobody has said that. I have criticised it and I have used the Niger Delta as a yardstick to measure his performance and I have said it very clearly.
