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By Chukwudi Nweje, Seye Ojo and Lukman Olabiyi
There has been more outrage over perceived plans by the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on Anambra State.
Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum (MBF), and Yoruba self-determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua, all expressed anger at the statement by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami that the Federal Government might consider declaring a state of emergency in Anambra State ahead of the November 6 governorship election if the security situation in the state persists.
President Muhamamadu Buhari has, after a meeting with Governor Willie Obiano on Thursday, reportedly denied having such plans.
Iba Gani Adams said the threat was unwarranted, noting that the solution to Nigeria’s problem is in the hands of the Federal Government. He contended that the government would be biting more than it could chew if a state of emergency is declared.
Adams said what the South East and other parts of the South need is political solution to address current challenges in the area and not threat. He warned that if the situation in the South-East is not properly handled, the crisis might spread to the South South region because of the proximity and affinity between the two.
While faulting Malami, Afenifere, MBF, and Ilana Omo Oodua insisted that there was no justification to declare a state of emergency in Anambra when some states in the North East and North West with worse insecurity situations have not been put under emergency rule.
President, MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu said there was no reason to make such declaration unless the Federal government wants to use it as a guise to rig election.
“The threat is uncalled for and unconstitutional. However, the fact that President Buhari told Governor Obiano that he has no interest in declaring a state of emergency in Anambra, and that he is only interested in a free and fair election shows that the AGF is acting his own script,” he said.
Afenifere, speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi said the threat of an emergency rule in Anambra State is self indicting, and an admission of failure on the part of the Federal Government in area of providing security.
He insisted that a state of emergency will not automatically solve the security challenges in the state especially if the Federal Government purpose is to ensure that the governorship election hold as scheduled.
“Those committing the atrocities may go underground for a time only to resurface after the election. What the government should do therefore is to holistically solve the security problem,” the group said.
On its part, the apex Yoruba self-determination group, Ilana Omo Oodua (IOO), under the leadership of a Second Republic Senator, Prof Banji Akintoye, also declared that any attempt by the Federal Government to declare a state-of-emergency on any state in the Southern part of Nigeria will fail woefully.
The group noted that there was no reason for the government to declare a state-of-emergency on any state in the South, when the same government has refused to declare a state-of-emergency on some states in the Northern part of the country, where insurgents, bandits and terrorists have taken over some local governments and hoisted their flags in their captured territories.
Communications Secretary of the group, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, said: “The Federal Government is just joking. If the Federal Government declares a state of emergency, it is not going to be final, it will still be subject to the approval of the three senators, representing the state in the National Assembly. If the three senators in the state did not vote, the state-of-emergency is not going to happen. That statement is a further truth on what we have been saying that this government is only concerned about the Fulani.”
