From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

A group, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Democracy, has pleaded with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, to arrest 2023 presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over his continued discrediting of President Bola Tinubu.

The coalition also hinged its demand to arrest Kwankwaso on his desperation to malign the image of President Tinubu and the judiciary by causing ethnic and religious war in the country.

They further alleged that Kwankwaso has assembled people to insult President Tinubu on daily basis to destroy his image before the world through the campaign to intimidate the the judiciary since the Tribunal and Appeal Court rulings on Kano state governorship election.

The National Secretary of the coalition, Otumba Eniola Enaife, made the appeal to the police boss at a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday.

“It is pertinent to note that, alot has happened within the last few months, ranging from the transition of power from the Buhari’s administration to the Tinubu-led federal government.

“It is important to note that President Tinubu is the main target. Kwankwaso want to blackmail the President using his proxies. He has assembled people to insult the President on daily basis, thereby destroying his image before the world.

“The Kwankwasiyya leader is on a mission to revenge his failed attempt to join President Tinubu’s cabinet. It is not a secret that Kwankwaso lobbied the President through all means to reap where he did not sow before Tinubu formed his cabinet but all his attempts failed,” the coalition quipped.

Making the special demand, Enaife, said: “We unequivocally call on the IGP to stand up to his responsibility by arresting Kwankwaso because of his desperation to malign the image of President Tinubu and the judiciary by causing ethnic and religious war in the Country is clearer now, than a clean water.

“They have arranged to occupy the Supreme Court premises and foreign missions in the country even though the Board of Trustee of the NNPP, in a press conference, has agreed that Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf was not a member of their party as at the time he was elected governor of Kano state.

“We have also gathered that Kwankwassiyas are planning to attack prominent APC members both within and outside Kano state. This act must be prevented and stopped by the security agencies before it goes out of hands.

“To this end, the call for the arrest of Mr Kwankwaso who is the arrow head of the Kwankwassiya Movement should be effected now to the nation.

“This act is against the tenets of democracy hence we in the Coalition for Democracy have come out to speak and act according to the rule of law. We demand immediate arrest of the Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Kwankwaso now to stabilise the state,” the coalition appealed.