A non-partisan group, Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thoughts has expressed concern over the presidential peace accord initiated to tackle brewing political crises in Rivers State.

The group, led by Chief Sunnie Chukumele, made their opinion known while addressing journalists on Friday in Port Harcourt.

In a resolution signed by 11 members of the body, the group identified some lopsidedness in the peace deal, alleging that it did not reflect the interest of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, nor the state.

They also alleged that the peace move did not address the root cause of the crisis as they identified their misgivings, describing some of its clauses as unconstitutional.

They identified their concerns to include current status of defected state House of Assembly lawmakers and request for re-presentation of the 2024 budget.

Others include re-instatement of members of the state executive council who resigned from office in the middle of the political crisis and uncoordinated assembly plenaries by the lawmakers amongst others.

“We observed that the Abuja peace proclamation did not recognise constitutional, judicial and legal issues regarding the state house of assembly members who defected from their political party to a new one.

“Clause 7 of the presidential peace deal, if adopted, will mean that there are no other persons so qualified to serve in the State Executive Council other than those who willingly resigned their appointments,” the resolution read in part.

Recall that part of the peace accord reached between President Bola Tinubu, Mr Fubara and other key political players in the state was re-presentation of the already passed 2024 budget.

Also re-instatement of commissioners who resigned from office in the face of political rift in the state formed part of the agreement waiting for implementation.

Disagreement between the immediate past governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and his political godson, Fubara, snowballed into a crisis which made 26 pro-Wike lawmakers to defect to the All Progressives Congress and resignation of some commissioners in Mr Fubara’s cabinet who were loyal to him.

(NAN)