Alarmed by the grim prospects of the declaration of a state of emergency by the Presidency in five of their states, Northern elders are converging on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, with a view to taking far-reaching decisions to halt such a move, which they see as punitive.
Meanwhile as the northern leaders were putting heads together to come up with a decision, the 36 state governors under the aegis, Nigeria Governors' Forum, NGF, yesterday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ignore those agitating for state of emergency in some troubled states.
There were reports that the Presidency was contemplating the declaration of a state of emergency in five states of Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau states following escalating violence.
But the Presidency said on Saturday that it had not yet taken a firm decision on what to do in those states with rising violence.
The Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said: "The Federal Government is studying the situation in the affected states and will take a decision that would be in the overall interest of the security of not just the people of the states affected but the whole country."
But Vanguard learnt that the northern elders were worried that the Presidency had concluded plans to slam emergency rule on those states and jettison the peace move already initiated by them.
A source said the imposition of emergency rule in the affected states by the Presidency was a foregone conclusion, which would take the north unawares.
Although it was unclear as at press time what the elders would do to stop the move, Vanguard learnt that the meeting would discuss strategies for boosting the position of the north to take back the Presidency in 2015.
Source allafrica.com
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