Embrace Peace, Learn From Emergency Rule,” Obi Urges Rivers Leaders

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on leaders in Rivers State to prioritize peace and draw lessons from past experiences with emergency rule. Speaking during a recent engagement, Obi stressed that stability must come first, warning that neglecting the consequences of emergency declarations could lead to repeated crises.

Key Highlights

• Peace as foundation: Obi emphasised that true development and governance can’t succeed amid unrest, violence, or political instability. For Rivers State, which has a history of emergency rule, he urges local leaders to put reconciliation, dialogue, and peaceful conflict resolution at the top of their agenda.

• Learning from past emergency rule: The former candidate pointed out that previous periods under emergency rule exposed weaknesses in governance, lapses in accountability, and displacement of people. Leaders, he said, must extract lessons on high costs to society and ensure those mistakes aren’t repeated.

• Role of leadership: Obi called upon political, traditional, and community leaders in Rivers to act responsibly: to discourage inflammatory rhetoric, promote inclusive governance, and engage with marginalized groups to prevent tensions from escalating.

• Community engagement: Part of Obi’s message hinged on involving communities in peacebuilding — youth groups, civil society, religious organizations — so that peace isn’t just a political slogan but a lived reality.

• Way forward: Obi urged the development of robust mechanisms for conflict prevention, early warning systems, and efforts to rebuild public trust. He also suggested that state and local governments should invest more in social infrastructure, education, and employment as long-term peace dividends.