Following the crisis rocking the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to publicly condemn the invasion of state legislative complex by thugs suspected to be sponsored by opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
It would be recalled that about five suspended members of the House of Assembly led by Nse Ntuen, on Tuesday, gained entry into the main chamber to formerly rectify the impeachment of the Speaker, Rt. Hon Onofiok Luke.
The IYC and CLO leadership, in separate interviews in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, condemned the invasion of the Assembly complex, describing it as undemocratic and barbaric.
IYC factional president, Barrister Eric Omare, said, “It is undemocratic for five men to impeach 11 lawmakers in a 26-man House. The Nigerian Police are culpable in this case.
“To have given the five lawmakers security coverage to gain access to the floor of the House means that the security agencies are partisan.
“We condemn the active partisanship of the security agencies in the Akwa Ibom Assembly crisis. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to not just speak up in condemnation of the matter, but sack all the Service Chiefs so that peace can be restored in the state.
“The major political parties must also inculcate the spirit of peace before, during and after the elections. They must play the game, according to rules, and no one should be allowed to fan the embers of violence or discord that may eventually lead to bloodshed.”
Karl Chinedu Uchegbu, zonal chairman of the CLO, South-South region, said the attempt by the five lawmakers was a threat to democracy.
He said: “We have seen this kind of drama played out in Benue State and the President kept quiet. This time, the organised society wants President Buhari to publicly condemn this barbaric act, if truly he is a democrat.
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“This politics of desperation by the APC Federal Government and its agents must not be condoned. That is why we call on President Buhari to live up to his biddings of being Mr. Integrity by condemning the action of the five lawmakers who were backed up by the security agents to attempt the illegal act.
“All those Security Chiefs in Akwa Ibom State, who supported the undemocratic process, must be removed from the state. This is the right time for President Buhari to prove to the world that the 2019 general elections will be free and fair as he has always promised.”