Dokpesi Denies Link with Avengers, Says Accussation Politically Motivated

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, August 8th, 2016

By Ayo Balogun, Abuja

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigeria media mogul and Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi has denied the allegation that he is one of the sponsors of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, a notorious militant group from the oil producing region of Nigeria.

A statement issued by the Alhaji Shehu Gabam, DG, Raymond Dokpesi Campaign Organisation said that the accusation is politically motivated to tarnish Dokpesi’s image and to hurt his chances of becoming the new PDP national Chairman. Dokpesi is one of the aspirants for the position of the PDP national chairmanship.

A faction of the Niger Delta Avengers over the weekend named the Chief Dokpesi, former president Goodluck Jonathan and other Ijaw and Niger Delta leaders as their sponsors.

The statement from Dokpesi’s campaign office reads further:

“We want to observe that ordinarily, a baseless accusation by a faceless identity is hardly worthy of a response. It is however unfortunate that the editors at Sahara Reporters allow their platform to be used irresponsibly to disparage innocent citizens with malicious falsehood and conspiracy theories without interrogating their sources on the authenticity of information they disseminate.

”For the avoidance of doubt, let us state categorically that this is nothing but a blatant concoction of falsehood obviously laced with the political intention of throwing a spanner in the works of our nation wide campaign/consultation with PDP delegates throughout the country in our bid to contest the National Chairmanship of the PDP.

“High Chief Dokpesi is a highly celebrated personality and people who know him will attest to the fact that he is not only a peace loving citizen but one who is passionate about the unity, indivisibility and oneness of our nation. Regardless of the partisan political process in the country, now clearly infested with all manner of treachery, bitterness and unwholesome acts by opposing political actors, he has always and will always be an advocate of winning all political contests fair and square.

“While we do not hide the fact that we have political differences with the All Peoples Congress, APC and the Federal Government especially on it’s policies, High Chief Dokpesi is a firm advocate for advancing the cause of our democracy through a robust and vibrant opposition that will keep the Government of the day on its toes.

“If Chief Dokpesi’s campaigns around all states of Nigeria to be elected national chairman of the PDP is creating nervousness and fear in any political quarters in the country, we expect such persons to address the issue squarely by campaigning harder than we have done or advancing superior reasons to ours on the issues at stake.

“High Chief Raymond Dokpesi calls on all Nigerians and delegates to the PDP National Convention to ignore and disregard the claims of this so called Cynthia Whyte who for reasons best known to him/her is bent on dragging Chief Dokpesi’s name into a matter he knows nothing about. It is a baseless, spurious and unfounded allegation that aims at creating distractions to the critical political issues that currently engage his full attention.”