The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has taken a swipe at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike following his recent comments on the local government election held in the state.

In an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, Wike bemoaned the actions of his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, during the Saturday election despite a court order.

Prior to the LGA election, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja declared that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, violated requisite provisions by not publishing the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the date for the election.

The court reportedly barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election.

Justice Lifu also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service, DSS, from providing security for the polls.

The judgment followed the suit brought before the judge by the state chapter of the APC, faulting RSIEC’s move to fix October 5 for the polls.

However, the election was held on Saturday on orders of Governor Fubara.

The governor’s loyalists who contested the chairmanship positions under the platform of the Action Peoples Party, APP, won in 22 out of the 23 LGAs in the state.
Reports of violence between Wike and Fubara supporters have been reported.

The Ikwerre Local Government secretariat was set ablaze on Monday, with many accusing Wike’s loyalist of being responsible for the arson attack on the building.

Gunshots were also heard in some secretariats after some political thugs tried to prevent the newly elected council bosses from gaining access to their offices.

In response to the situation in Rivers, Wike blamed Fubara, stating that he derailed Nigerian democracy by failing to adhere to the court judgment.

Responding to Wike’s comment, the PDP in the state asked the Minister and his supporters to seek redress in court if they were not okay with the election.

Sydney Gbara, the PDP publicity secretary in Rivers State said in an interview that those who were eagerly agitating for the election were now against it.

He said, “We are aware that no court judgment can stop an electoral process. What we know is that if you are not okay with an election, you can approach the court after it is conducted. So they should go to court.

“Let me take Nigerians back, conducting the local government election was one of the items on the presidential peace proclamation made by President Bola Tinubu in 2023. They (Wike and his supporters) have been willing to see the election conducted.

“At one point they even instructed the assembly that if Fubara refuses to conduct the election, he should be impeached. It is now surprising that when the RSIEC drew out the timetable for the election, they are now doing everything possible to stop it.

“This is where the conversation should start from and not whether there was a court judgment or not.

“In fact, it got to a point where the assembly elongated the tenure of the previous LG Chairmen and that was the first of its kind in the history of Nigerian democracy. Now the governor said he is ready for the election and the same people are now speaking from the other side of their mouths, saying the election should not be held.

“Where has Governor Fubara gone wrong? The Supreme Court has given judgment prohibiting caretaker committees and said every state should have elected LG Chairmen and they have a time frame of 90 days or else the state will not get an allocation.

“Governor Fubara is just being obedient to the Supreme Court judgment. Anyone who wants to truncate the process does not mean well for Rivers people.”

“ Fubara will continue to be our hero for standing firm to ensure that democracy stands in Rivers State.

“Innocent people were killed in cold blood all in a bid to frustrate the electoral process. The truth is that they came late because Rivers People have decided to move on with Fubara.”