Civil rights and pro-democracy activists under the umbrella of the Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights & Democracy Organizations (SBCHROs) have given state governors and other political leaders in the region two weeks to declare their stand on the purported secret adoption of President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 general elections.

The ultimatum is contained in an “Open Letter To Southeast Governors & Federal Legislators” dated 16th December, 2018, addressed to Governors William M. Obiano (Anambra); Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, PhD (Abia); Rochas Anayo Okorocha (Imo); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Engineer Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Barr Ike Ekweremadu (Deputy Senate President of Nigeria); Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Chairman of the Southeast Senate Caucus); Chukwuka Onyema (Chairman of the House of Reps Southeast Caucus); 15 Members of the Southeast Caucus in the Senate; and 43 Members of the House of Reps Southeast Caucus.

SBCHROs declared in the open letter that the “alleged adoption by Southeast Governors and principal federal legislators from the Region of Mr. Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 Presidential Election and their commitment and participation in the “project” without the knowledge or consent of the Southeast People and the Region . . . undermines the Igbo Agenda.”

Part of the letter reads: “The coalition strongly calls on the Southeast Governors and the principal federal legislators from the Region including the Deputy Senate President to within two weeks from today (16^th December 2018) or between now and 31^st December 2018 make a clear and unambiguous public statement or pronouncement on alleged adoption or endorsement of Mr. Muhammadu Buhari or any person in his name for the 2019 Presidential Election. Failure to have same clarified publicly will leave the coalition and the entire Southeast with no other option than to confirm the allegation and take a firm and collective stand on present and future political validity or invalidity of the named public office holders.

“The Southeast Governors and the principal federal legislators from the Region named above, should, therefore within two weeks answer, individually and collectively, the following questions: (1) Is it correct that the Governor of Anambra State recently made a donation of staggering sum of N3b cash belonging to the Anambra People to the Buhari reelection “project”? (2) Is it also correct that when pushed he ordered the money to be recovered from traders including buyers and sellers of foodstuffs, hawkers and commercial transporters in the State particularly Onitsha, Nnewi and environs through sundry tolls and extortions presently ravaging the State? (3) Is it correct that when pushed further he claimed he donated the money so as to placate the Presidency into releasing “N43b debts owed the State for rehabilitation of Federal roads in the State”?

“Other are: (4) Is it also correct that another whopping sum of N500m cash with nine different brands of vehicles including three buses, regular cars and SUVs belonging to Anambra State or procured with Anambra State resources was given to the Presidential Candidate of APGA on the day of the Party’s campaign flag off? (5) If the two open questions to Gov Obiano are true, then when and where did the People of Anambra State authorize him to waste sum gargantuan amounts in such frivolities? The Gov should speak publicly, concretely and convincingly to Anambra People if they are not true (6) How much cash belonging to the People of Imo State, if any, has the Governor of Imo State donated for the reelection of Mr. Buhari, if true? (7) How much cash belonging to the People of Abia State, if any, has the Governor of Abia State donated for the reelection of Mr. Buhari, if true? (8) How much cash belonging to the People of Enugu State, if any, has the Governor of Enugu State donated for the reelection of Mr. Buhari, if true? (9) How much cash belonging to the People of Ebonyi State, if any, has the Governor of Ebonyi State donated for the reelection of Mr. Buhari, if true? (10) Under what terms and conditions beneficial to the Southeast and the People of the Region are the Southeast Governors and some principal federal legislators from the Region supporting Mr. Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection, if true?

“The rest are: (11) What in concrete, measurable and verifiable forms or in terms of human and material resources or quantification including security service chiefs and political and securitization inclusion and balancing have the Southeast Region benefitted from the Buhari Administration warranting adopting him, if true, for 2019 Presidential Election? (12) Is adopting Buhari for 2019 Presidential Poll, if true, not a clear act of cowardice and in furtherance of pursuit of selfish, pecuniary and cowardly interests by his adopters, if true? (13) Is the adoption, if true, not height of political suicide and a thank you or reward to the Administration for unleashing unspeakable atrocities including massacring of over 480 unarmed and defenseless citizens of the Region and maiming of over 500 others without remorse or remedies till date?

“We also ask: (14) what has been the inputs of the Southeast Governors and the federal legislators from the Region in the posting of Northern Muslim dominated senior military and other security officers including Police CPs and Directors of SSS to the Region? (15) What is the fate of Igbo Agenda in the 2019 Presidential Election and next political dispensation in view of the adoption of Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, if true, for 2019 Presidential Election? (16) Is it not correct to say or conclude, if the above are correct, that the Southeast Governors and named federal legislators from the Region have brutally undermined and compromised the security of the Region and traded off the safety and collective or general wellbeing of the People of the Region?

“Answers to the above 16-point questions must clearly and unambiguously be provided by the addressed within two weeks from this date, being 16^th December 2018 or on or before 31^st December 2018.”

Among SBCHROs members that signed the open letter are Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety); CLO, Southeast Zone; CLO, Anambra State Branch; Forum for Promotion of National Ethos & Values (FPNEV); Igbo Ekunie Initiative; Int’l Solidarity for Peace & Human Rights Initiative (ISPHRI); Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Dev (FENRAD); Society for Economic Rights & Social Justice (SERSj); Human Rights Organization of Nigeria (HRON); Center for Human Rights & Peace Advocacy (CHRPA); Southeast Good Governance Forum (SEGGF); Society Watch & Advocacy Project (of Intersociety)-WASP; Initiative for Ideal Dev & Emancipatory Leadership in Nigeria (IDEAL); Igbo National Council (INC); Anambra Human Rights Forum (ANHRF); Voice of the Voiceless Int’l (VOVI); Easy Life Initiative for Rural Youths (ELIRY); Igbo Bu Igbo Organization; Community Empowerment Network; and Southeast Movement against Transactional Politics & Profligacy.

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