Youths from the northern part of the country, under the umbrella of Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence has asked the Federal Government to withhold funds meant for local government areas in Rivers State.
The call is coming on the heels of what the group describes as blatant violations and infractions witnessed during last Saturday’s local government elections in Rivers State.
National Coordinator, Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence, Haruna Bature and the Chairman, Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence, Abuja Chapter, Comrade Ogah Mark Okpanachi, in a press conference in Abuja urged the Federal Government to implement the Supreme Court judgment regarding local government financial autonomy.
The Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence stands firmly in support of a democratic process rooted in law and transparency, urging all stakeholders to join in advocating accountability and integrity in the electoral system.
The group also said a Federal High Court in Abuja, under the judicious eye of Justice Peter Lifu, halted the release of the voters’ register by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to RSIEC
The Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence added that the ruling highlighted the deliberate disregard for legal processes by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his administration, whose attempts to rush the inauguration of elected chairmen cannot mask the fact that the law has already caught up with them.