Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has asked Rivers Governor, Siminalayi Fubara to follow the rule of law so that peace can reign.
Wike spoke on Tuesday when he was featured as a Channels Television’s Politics Today guest.
“There is peace when you obey the rule of law. There is peace when you obey court judgements,” the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said.
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The state has made headlines in recent months owing to a feud between Wike and Fubara. That dispute escalated some days back in the lead-up and aftermath of the local government elections in the state.
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 Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs in the election, while the Action Alliance (AA) was victorious in one LGA.
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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.
However, Wike insisted that Fubara should follow the court verdict to bring peace to the state.
“When I was governor, I always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor said, our state is turning to a state of anarchy where people did not obey the rule of law. What is obeying the rule of law?” Wike asked.
“You must respect and obey the judgment of the court. You must not take the law into your hands. It does not matter how you see that judgment.
“The moment you don’t obey court judgments, you are inviting anarchy and violence. Was that destruction done before now?
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“A governor came out on national television to tell the world that I will not obey court judgment.
In fact, he said there is nowhere in the judgment that the court said the election should not hold. He went so far as to say, I don’t need police before I conduct the election.
“In that case, who is the perpetrator of that violence? It is not about blaming. The governor is the architect of the violence in Rivers.”
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