PDP Defends Fubara: Go To Court If You Disagree, Wike! The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for his recent comments regarding the local government election in the state.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Nevo News reports that Wike expressed dissatisfaction during a Channels TV interview on Tuesday regarding Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s decision to hold the local government elections despite a court ruling against it.

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ruled that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) failed to provide the required 90-day notice before setting the election date. The court also prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC for the election, and barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) from offering security for the polls.

This ruling was prompted by a lawsuit from the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging RSIEC’s plan to hold elections on October 5. Nonetheless, the election proceeded as planned on Saturday under Governor Fubara’s direction, with candidates from his faction of the Action Peoples Party (APP) winning 22 out of the 23 local government areas.

The state has witnessed violent clashes between supporters of Wike and Fubara before and after the election. On Monday, a local government secretariat in Ikwerre was set ablaze by individuals reportedly linked to Wike, and gunfire erupted at other secretariats as political thugs attempted to prevent newly elected officials from entering their offices.

In his initial response to the situation, Wike accused Fubara of undermining democracy by disregarding the court ruling. He also suggested that Fubara’s attempt to remove the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, was a catalyst for the ongoing crisis.

In contrast, the PDP called on Wike and his supporters to seek legal recourse if they disagreed with the election results. Sydney Gbara, the PDP’s publicity secretary in Rivers State, expressed confusion over why those who had previously advocated for the election were now opposed to it.

Gbara stated, “No court ruling can halt an electoral process. If there are issues with the election, they can be addressed in court after it takes place. Conducting the local government election was part of the peace initiative announced by President Bola Tinubu in 2023. Wike and his supporters wanted the election to happen. At one point, they even called for Fubara’s impeachment if he refused to hold it. Now that RSIEC has announced the election timetable, they are trying to block it.”

He emphasized that the conversation should focus on the actions of the governor rather than the court ruling. Gbara pointed out that the Supreme Court has mandated elected local government chairmen within a specified timeframe to ensure states receive their allocations, and asserted that Fubara was adhering to this judgment.

He described Fubara as a hero for his commitment to democracy in Rivers State, emphasizing, “Innocent lives have been lost in the struggle to undermine the electoral process. The truth is that Rivers people are ready to move forward with Fubara.”