President Bola Tinubu has barred all former Niger Delta militant leaders from visiting him at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Politics Nigeria learnt that the decision was taken in the aftermath of Asari Dokubo’s visit to President Tinubu on June 16.
A presidency source said Tinubu was disturbed by public utterances and actions of Dokubo in the aftermath of his visit.
“Tinubu was said to have been bothered that all verbal vituperations and militant activities of Asari-Dokubo in the Niger Delta,” a source told Leadership.
Recall that in a chat with the State House reporters, Dokubo took a swipe at the Armed Forces, accusing its personnel of being neck-deep in economic sabotage, especially crude oil theft and vandalism of oil equipment in the region.
Dokubo’s outbursts against the military within the vicinity of the villa gave the inkling that the president shared the same views with the notable ex-militant commander.
Similarly, Dokubo’s unacceptable conduct in the eyes of the presidency moved beyond tolerable level when he took on the Rivers governor, Siminalayi Fubara, threatening to deal with the chief executive of the oil-rich state.
The presidency was said to be irked that his association with the president continued to give a wrong signal to the public that he enjoyed the support and backing of the nation’s number one citizen.
Considering the above, it was learnt that the president has ordered that he would no longer play host to the ex-militant commanders in the villa apparently to forestall the negative impression and unenviable signal such association was likely to create in the psyche of the public.
