ABUJA – IJAWS under the Coalition of Concerned Ijaw Stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Northern Nigeria, Wednesday, demanded reversal of the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State, and reinstatement of Governor Siminalaye Fubara.

Speaking with deep pain during a press conference, the Convener of the Coalition, Comrade Rosemary John-Oduone, in an address signed by 16 Ijaw leaders, vehemently condemned the action of Tinubu, and described it as a rape of democracy.

John-Oduone said: “The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) which is the constitution the President and all the governors swore to uphold and protect has been set aside by Bola Tinubu with the aid of the armed forces and the police to illegally remove the Elected Governor and Government of Rivers State, a state in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and one of the leading oil production centres in the country.

“This he has done to force the elected governor and state officials to decamp to his political party in his ongoing attempt at making Nigeria a one-party dictatorship, and to enforce his return to office for a second term at all costs. Indeed it is a rape of our democracy.

“Therefore, the President should reverse the state of emergency declared in Rivers State because the situation in the State does not warrant this action. We also demand Governor Siminalaye Fubara is reinstated as the Governor of Rivers State.”

She also accused the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi of been an accomplice on the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

“The Attorney General of the country, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, has been an accomplice in this endeavour and has been credited with facilitating the orchestration of this gross illegality to allow for the declaration of a state of emergency to truncate the Constitution”, she added.

Also, speaking the Chairman, Ijaw Youth Council, FCT, cum Northern Nigeria, Comrade Emmanuel Deinma, also called on the President to reconsider his action in the interest of the nation.

In his remarks, the President General, Niger Delta Progressive Youth Leadership Foundation, ND-PYLF, Adam Mabo, called on the President to rescind his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State because it would escalate the political situation in Rivers State, and wants the President to consider his 2027 re-election bid instead of creating enemies before the election.

The President, Wakirike Bise, Tamunokuro Obetoubara, counseled the President not to set the region on fire as it was before the late President Musa Yar”Adua intervened and restored peace, and added that the action of the President is an attack on Ijaw people, saying the action of the President has gone against the constitution, therefore, he should rescind his decision for Rivers State to have a stable government in place.

Meanwhile the coalition called on the international community to wade in and salvage the situation.

“The United Kingdom, Presidents of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations the African Union, ECOWAS and other International Institutions to take urgent steps to free the people of Nigeria from this emerging despotic regime bent on abusing the institutions and instruments of state to entrench evil nepotistic, dangerous, authoritarian and corrupt and undemocratic practices in Nigeria.”