A professional-democracy group, Coalition of Civil Society in Defence of Democracy, has urged President Bola Tinubu to determine a reconciliation committee inside 14 days to resolve the disaster in Rivers State.
This name comes after President Tinubu declared a state of emergency within the state, suspending Governor Siminilayi Fubara, his deputy, and the Rivers State Home of Meeting for six months.
The group’s convener, Dr. Olayemi Isaacs, at a press convention in Abuja expressed considerations that the state of emergency would solely result in a “compelled peace” and encourage events to cover their true intentions.
As a substitute, he advocated for reconciliatory steps in a democratic setting to realize real peace.
In line with Dr. Isaacs, real peace can solely come to Rivers State via reconciliatory steps taken in a really democratic setting.
The group criticized President Tinubu’s choice to declare a state of emergency, stating that it validated the ugly follow of corrupt political godfatherism by siding with former Governor Nyesom Wike, who’s the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Tinubu’s cupboard.
They argued that Wike’s overbearing rent-seeking conduct was the basis reason for the disaster in Rivers State.
The Coalition of Civil Society in Defence of Democracy demanded that President Tinubu arrange a panel of non-partisan eminent Nigerians to mediate between the rival events within the Rivers State disaster.
They emphasised that the mediatory efforts should be concluded inside 60 days, permitting the state of emergency to be lifted inside 90 days of its declaration.
The group warned that permitting the state of emergency to run longer than 90 days would compound the issue within the state, threatening and presumably jeopardizing Nigeria’s democracy.
They urged President Tinubu to take speedy motion to determine the reconciliation committee and start the method of resolving the disaster in Rivers State.
“We name on President Bola Tinubu to finish the state of emergency he imposed on Rivers State inside 90 days of its proclamation,” Isaacs added.
“Permitting it to run longer than this era will compound the issue within the state in a means that can threaten and presumably jeopardize Nigeria’s democracy.
“Moreover, the Coalition of Civil Society in Defence of Democracy calls for that President Tinubu, inside 14 days, arrange a panel of non-partisan eminent Nigerians to mediate between the rival events within the Rivers State disaster.
“The mediatory efforts should be concluded inside 60 days in order that the state of emergency may be lifted inside 90 days of its declaration.
“Lastly, we name on political events to rein of their members in states which have related political wranglings ongoing in order that President Tinubu wouldn’t have the excuse to droop democratic buildings in additional elements of the nation.
“The place political events fail to heed this counsel, they are often assured that there won’t be many states left underneath democratic rule earlier than the 2027 Common Elections.”
