A traditional ruler in Rivers State, Nwachukwu Nnam Obi III of Ogbaland, has urged Rivers people to rediscover the bonds that unite them as Africans, even amid political disagreements, stressing that internal understanding and mutual respect remain the foundation for lasting peace.

At a virtually during a peace Town Hall Meeting in Port Harcourt on Friday, the monarch from Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the State said what has united the state, like in many other African communities, is not just the laws of the nation, but internal knowledge of personal understandings.

He lamented the public deterioration of political disagreements into personal attacks, particularly against elders, and described the situation as a shameful departure from the state’s values.

While acknowledging concerns over the legality of the emergency rule declared in Rivers State, King Nnam Obi III thanked President Bola Tinubu for the decision, saying it may compel those unwilling to listen to embrace dialogue.

“If emergency rule is the way to bring peace, there is no problem,” he stated.

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On the August 30 local government elections, the monarch admitted that the current process might fall short of ideal democratic standards but maintained that it could mark the beginning of restoring democratic governance.

He cautioned that despite the heavy burdens Rivers State has carried, the people must not allow internal conflict to destroy the state.

“Sometimes, you play the fool to be wise,” he remarked, adding that no one who understands the extent of the state’s losses should oppose peace efforts.

Earlier, the convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, one of the groups that organised the Town Hall Meeting, Obinna Egbogidi, stressed the need for sustained dialogue.

He said Rivers people can disagree without becoming enemies, cautioning that “No ambition is worth the blood of any Rivers man.”

Also, Chidi Halliday, the Commissioner in charge of Administration and Legal Matters at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), defended the commission’s handling of the election process so far.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, who represented the Commissioner of Police, assured residents of adequate security during the polls.