declare support for the leading socio-cultural groups which recently met
in Abuja and endorsed the candidature of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
JPAG which stated this in a press statement jointly signed by Chief Kola
Adepoju for the Yoruba Alliance Group (JAG), Alhaji Abdullahi Shehu for
the Arewa Renewal Mandate Group (ARMG), Chief Obioma Okereafor for
Southeast Progressive Union (SEPU), Apostle Horyen Pwajok for the Middle
Belt Coalition for Progress (MBCP) and James Ekpenyong for the Niger Delta
Restoration Forum (NDRF), and released to the media on Tuesday, February
5, said its decision to back the five foremost groups on their endorsement
of Atiku was “predicated on the parlous situation which the country has
found itself and for which there must be an urgent change of government at
the polls on February 16 before the situation becomes totally
irredeemable.
“It will be unreasonable for us to ignore the very obvious dangerous signs
of a failing nation staring us in the face in the name of ethnicity or
religion and watch our nation collapse on us”, it stated.
The Group also went further to say that “Buhari’s deficiencies in
governance which have sharply divided our nation along mundane lines
cannot be allowed to continue. It is time for every Nigerian of goodwill
and good conscience to rise up and do the needful on February 16 to ensure
that this charade of a political process is quickly brought to an end.
“It is in view of this that we lend our voices to the recent endorsement
of Atiku by the Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Northern Elders Forum,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Pan Niger Delta Forum. We are very much convinced
beyond any iota of doubt that this is the right step to take for the sake
of our nation and posterity”, the statement concluded.