Declare State of Emergency in Rivers State

The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Abayomi Adesanya, has asked the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Adesanya said a state of emergency was necessary in the oil rich state in order to forestall political violence and the breakdown of law and order.

The APC chieftain, in a statement on Sunday, condemned recent political violence in the state.

Adesanya said, “The rate at which innocent people are being killed and burnt alive in the name of politics is saddening, barbaric and worrisome.

"Provocative statements credited to Governor Nyesom Wike are worsening the situation. These statements are capable of causing confusion, leading to the breakdown of law and order in the state.

“It is obvious that Governor Wike has lost control of the state. As the chief security officer of the state, his primary duty is to secure lives of the people in the state but he has failed to do this. The crisis in Rivers State could have ended if not for the unwillingness of “powerful people” in government in the state.

“Therefore, to prevent the crisis from escalating and degenerating into further chaos, we passionately call on President Buhari to use the constitutional powers vested in him as the President to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State for peace to return.”

Governor Wike had threatened that INEC officials coming for election in Rivers should write their will.