The Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, Anambra State Branch, has made a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, and the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, to immediately halt all processes for the purported leasing of the historic political party office located at Niger Street, Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area, pending the final determination of the matter by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The property, originally constructed by former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), for the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, and National Republican Convention, NRC, during Nigeria’s Third Republic, has been the subject of protracted litigation since 2020. The suit is between the Ogbo family of Umuasele Village, Onitsha, who claim customary ownership of the land, and the National Inland Waterways Authority.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Awka and endorsed by the Chairman of CLO Anambra State, Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, AMBP-UN, the organization warned that proceeding with any leasing arrangement while the substantive suit is still pending would amount to subversion of the rule of law and could trigger avoidable tension and breakdown of law and order in the commercial city of Onitsha.
Quoting his theme for the year, “Justice could only be served when the unaffected are as outraged as those affected”, Comrade Ezekwueme urged all contending parties to maintain the status quo and remain law-abiding until the court delivers its final judgment.
“We appeal to President Tinubu, a known democrat and father of the nation, to use the 2026 Democracy Day celebration to call all actors involved to order. Direct them to allow the ongoing legal process to take its full course. This is the only path to restore public confidence in government, ensure normalcy, and preserve peace and tranquility in Onitsha South,” CLO posited.
CLO further anchored its appeal on timeless principles of justice and human dignity, citing the late Pope Francis: “When one suffers directly, everyone suffers indirectly,” and the immortal words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: “No one is free until all of us are free.” The organization stressed that justice, patriotism, equity, and morality must guide all actions relating to public assets and disputed land.
The Civil Liberties Organization reaffirmed its commitment to defending civil rights, promoting the rule of law, and preventing any action that could undermine peace and democracy in Anambra State and Nigeria at large.
