Arewa Youths for Peaceful Coexistence has tackled the elder statesman and bigwig of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Edwin Clark, for condemning the defensive actions of the partys national secretariat in favour of the 27 PDP lawmakers of Rivers State.
The group in a statement by its national chairman and the Abuja chapter chairman, Hon. Haruna Bature and Hon. Ogah Okpanachi, said Chef Clark as an elder, ought to play an advisory and mediatory role in the political crisis in Rivers, rather than taking sides with the sitting Governor.
It, however, called on Chief Clark to retract his letter, apologise to the parties mentioned in the letter and assume the proper fatherly and mediatory role expected of him as an Elder Statesman.
The statement said: Attention of the Arewa Youths for Peaceful Coexistence has been drawn to the letter written by Chief Edwin K. Clark condemning the defensive actions of the Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Illya Damagun and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu in favour of the 27 PDP Lawmakers of Rivers State.
We are greatly shocked and disappointed by the toxic hatred and bitterness expressed in the letter against the defensive actions of Alh. Illya Damagun and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and the FCT Minister, Chief Barr. E.N. Wike in favour of the 27 PDP lawmakers of Rivers state.
We wonder why the elder statesman, Chief Edwin K. Clark who is supposed to be a mediator between the two factions suddenly lost touch with his status, and role and threw caution to the wind by taking sides with Governor Sim. Fubara to sacrifice the 27 PDP lawmakers forgetting that all the parties in this crisis are bonafide and prominent indigenes of Rivers State whose interests must never be sacrificed for another.
The legal technicalities of the alleged defection of the 27 PDP Lawmakers of Rivers State have been severally challenged and judgments passed in favour of the 27 PDP Rivers state lawmakers at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, and therefore expected the elder statesman to have chosen the path of peaceful mediation and reconciliation to give proper closure to the issues in contention.
We categorically wish to state that the actions of Alh. Illya Damagun and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu properly informed the Court that the position of the party is to give all the parties in Rivers State Crisis fairgrounds to litigate their matters in court without fear or favour and should never be condemned for such actions.
Finally, we wish to remind Chief Edwin K. Clark that all the parties in the Rivers State crisis especially the FCT Minister, Chief Barr. E.N. Wike has fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which cannot and must never be compromised or sacrificed for any petty personal or regional sentiments.
We are therefore calling on Chief Edwin K. Clark to immediately retract the letter, apologise to the parties mentioned in the letter, and assume the proper fatherly and mediatory role expected of him as an Elder Statesman, the statement read
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