Mr Don-Clinton Ekine, Spokesman for the group, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa that Atikus resolve to seek legal redress was civilised.

He said that the approach of the former vice president in resorting to lawful means rather than extra judicial protest was commendable.

Ekine called on security agencies to ensure a level playing field for all parties in the March 9 Gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly Elections.

He called on the security forces to do their best to ensure peace in the forthcoming elections.

Usually when you have a militarised election, it traumatises and works negatively on the psychology of the members of the electorate, he said.

He alleged that 41 Niger Delta youths going to be part of election observers and monitoring on Feb. 23 were still held by the police in Akwa Ibom

Two weeks after their arrest, they have neither been charged to court nor granted bail.

We are urging the inspector-general of police to order immediate release of the youths as they are all members of Niger Delta Non Violence Youth Leaders Assembly and other pacifist organisations in the region.

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The National Peace Committee should advise security agencies to ensure that these election observers are allowed to participate in the forthcoming elections Ekine said.

He told NAN that the coalition condemned violence during the Feb. 23 elections in some states in Niger Delta, and urged that peace would reign in the March 9 polls.