The Collaborative Council of Nigerians in the Diaspora (CCND), has described the Rivers State peace settlement as an assault on democracy.
This is just as the Council in a statement, unequivocally condemned the former Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike’s provocative behavior of interfering with the functions of the elected Governor of any state, including Rivers State.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu and other stakeholders, according to media reports, had intervened in the crisis rocking the State, and in a resolution reached, directed that all matters instituted in the courts by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his team in respect of the political crisis be withdrawn immediately.
Part of the resolution, among others, was that the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule was recognized alongside the 27 members who had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the CCND while reacting to this, noted that a dangerous precedent is being set with potential to seriously damage the country’s fragile democracy.
The Council explained that, “When the political crisis in Rivers State broke into the open, the Collaborative Council of Nigerians in the Diaspora (CCND) was quick to recognize the potential dangers including the assault to the national constitution and democratic norms.
“We then called on friends of Rivers State and Nigeria to seek peace. We asked the cross-carpeting assembly members to return to their former party and respect the will of the people.
“We also alerted the country to the security implications and called on the President and the Inspector General of Police to be mindful of this.
“Now that there seems to be a peace accord between the two warring parties in Rivers State, CCND is once again responding to express our concerns over the process of arriving at this peace accord.
“Let us be very clear, a very dangerous precedent is being set with potential to seriously damage our fragile democracy”, they said.
Furthermore, CCND noted that, “We are witnessing a situation where the executive appears to overrule the judiciary in a very controversial “settlement.” Governor Fubara appears to have capitulated thus making the people of Rivers State and the young democracy the losers in this sham settlement”.
CCND added that former Governor Wike’s provocative behavior of interfering with the functions of the elected governor must not be tolerated or rewarded, as is apparently the case in this particular “settlement.”
The Council further noted that it has become crucial to recognize that the global community is closely watching these developments, adding that, “we earnestly hope for the swift reversal of the autocratic and unconstitutional 8-point “settlement” directives”.
