Former Rivers State governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has slammed Governor Sim Fubara for the recent unrest in the state in the aftermath of the local government elections.
Wike spoke when he appeared on “Politics Today,” a programme on Channels TV.
According to Wike, the chaos that erupted in Rivers State after the elections was a direct result of Fubara’s actions, particularly his alleged disregard for police involvement in managing the elections.
Wike criticized the governor for what he described as a reckless approach to ensuring security during such a critical event.
“Fubara is the cause of the mayhem that happened in Rivers State in the aftermath of the LGA elections,” Wike stated.
“It’s not possible for a governor to say he doesn’t need the police to handle an election in his state.”
Wike emphasized the importance of police presence during elections, arguing that it was irresponsible for any governor to believe they could successfully conduct elections without law enforcement support.
His comments were informed by the growing tensions in Rivers State, occasioned by the conduct of the local government polls and their outcomes.
● “Obey Court Judgement And Have Peace”-Wike to Fubara
Wike has also asked governor Fubara to obey court judgement if he must have peace.
“There is peace when you obey the rule of law. There is peace when you obey court judgements,” Wike said.
A court verdict had mandated the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) not to provide security for the election.
It also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to release the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the exercise.
But the Fubara-led government insisted on the local government election and conducted same on Saturday.
The chairpersons and councillors were sworn in on Monday, but that triggered another wave of violence in the state. Three local government council secretariats were set ablaze, and properties were destroyed.
Fubara has since vowed to fish out the masterminds of the attacks and, on Tuesday, set up a panel to probe the incidents.
But, Wike, who is the Minister of FCT, insisted that Fubara should follow the court verdict to bring peace to the state.
“Obey court judgement, and allow the rule of law to prevail. If you don’t obey the law, you are bringing anarchy,” he said.
“I was a governor, I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor say that our state is turning into a state of anarchy where people do not obey the rule of law.
“You must obey the judgement of the court. You must not take the law into your own hands. The moment you don’t obey court judgement, you are inviting anarchy. You are inviting violence,” Wike said.
While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is Fubara and Wike’s party, did not participate in the election, the Action Peoples Party (APP) clinched 22 out of the 23 chairmanship positions.
However, Wike believes Fubara sponsored the APP.
“Today, people say ‘Discipline Wike, he did anti-party’. I did not do anti-party; I said we must stand for equity, fairness, and justice’,” he said while referencing his support of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.
“Today, what happened? The governor (Fubara) is the one who sponsored the APP. The chairman of the (PDP) governors’ forum was the one who attended the swearing in”.
