Rivers PDP Criticizes Wike Over Remarks on Local Government Election

 

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following his comments regarding the recent local government elections in Rivers State.

In an interview on Channels TV, Wike expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to proceed with the October 5th election despite a court ruling. Earlier, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ruled that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) did not provide the required 90-day notice before the election. The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register and prohibited security agencies from providing support for the election.

However, Governor Fubara went ahead with the election, and candidates loyal to him won 22 out of the 23 chairmanship positions under the Action Peoples Party (APP). Following the election, violent clashes erupted between supporters of Wike and Fubara, with incidents of arson and gunfire reported.

Wike, in his public response, accused Governor Fubara of undermining democracy by ignoring the court ruling and alleged that Fubara's attempts to remove the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, fueled the ongoing crisis.

The PDP in Rivers State, in a swift response, urged Wike and his supporters to seek legal redress if they are dissatisfied with the election. Sydney Gbara, the PDP’s publicity secretary, emphasized that no court ruling can halt an electoral process, adding that any disputes should be addressed in court after the election has taken place. Gbara also noted that the local government election was part of the presidential peace initiative introduced by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, and that Wike had previously been supportive of conducting the election.

Gbara further praised Governor Fubara for adhering to the Supreme Court's directive that states must elect local government chairmen, and described the governor as a hero for standing firm in upholding democracy in Rivers State.