Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday dismissed the criticism by opposition leaders about the conduct of the council elections in Rivers State, saying that the exercise had not been declared illegal by a court of law.
Wike stated this while reacting to the comments by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and a former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, who described the elections as unlawful.
Speaking during a media parley, the minister stated that polls were legally conducted and commended by many for being free and fair.
He stated, “Listen, I don’t blame Atiku; he didn’t know that his boss signed the emergency rule in 2004. If he knew, if he was obedient and working along with his boss, who was [former] President Olusegun Obasanjo, he would have known that the President has the power to make regulations for the governance of emergency areas.
“So, he was not in tune. He doesn’t know, and as I said, what you don’t know, don’t comment about it. If Atiku had comments about Customs, I know he has worked in Customs. I can give it to him, but this is law.
“He doesn’t know that the 2024 emergency rule was signed by his boss.
“Look at the man; look at his antecedents. In 1999, he was in the PDP. In 2007, he ran on the platform of the Action Congress. In 2011, he came back to the PDP to run for the presidential ticket; he left.
“In 2014, he went to APC; he ran for the presidency. In 2017, he came back to the PDP, became the candidate in 2019, and became the candidate in 2023.
“Now, he has left for the ADC to seek the presidency. Did they prescribe a drug for the presidency for him?”
The former Rivers governor said Obi lacked the moral right to speak about the conduct of elections.
Wike stated, “Now take Peter Obi. He said rascality. Who can be more [of a] rascal than Obi? Obi became the governor of Anambra State for eight years. He conducted local government elections two months before o when he left office — eight years as governor.
“Does he have what it takes to comment about the conduct of an election that was properly done and backed up by law?”
“They’re Looking For Funding”
He also argued that the two opposition coalition leaders were angry because Rivers State, a major source of funding for politicians, had been cut off.
“Their anger is that they are looking for where they will get funding, and now it’s no longer available in Rivers State. They have no capacity or moral to even talk about it.
“Look at the conduct of the election. You have seen people saying that for the first time in our history, no gunshot, no carrying of boxes, no kidnapping of returning officers.
“And nobody wants to come back and commend security agencies and RSIEC. You are only saying it’s illegal. It is illegal for you. The court has don’t pronounce it illegal,” the former added.
The elections were conducted on Saturday by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission across the 23 local government areas of the state.
On Sunday, RSIEC announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 20 councils, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in three LGAs.
