Wike blames Fubara for violence and burning of secretariats in Rivers

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of being the architect of the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.

The governor stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

The minister said the governor was wrong to go ahead with the local government election.

5 ParagraphsHe said: “No person who believes in peace and stability of any nation will say he supports violence, will say he wants to support destruction, will say he doesn’t want people to live in harmony.

“But what’s important is that when there’s violence, when there’s instability, it’s for you to ask questions: what has led to the violence, what has led to the instability, what has led to destruction?

“I was a governor and I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor say the state is turning into anarchy. You must respect the rule of law, the judgement of the court. It doesn’t matter how you see that judgement. The moment you don’t obey judgement, you’re inviting anarchy and violence.

“A governor came out on national television and said he won’t obey court judgement. He went as far as to say he doesn’t need police and protection of lives and property.

“When someone says he doesn’t need police and protection of lives and property, he’s inviting anarchy. The governor is the architect of the violence.”

The burning of LG secretariats followed the withdrawal of the police officers securing the 23 council secretariats by the commissioner of police.

Though the PDP, APC, and the police opted out of the exercise that produced the newly elected LG chairmen, Fubara insisted that the election be held on Saturday.

After the exercise was held amid heightened tension, the Action People’s Party (APP) won 22 chairmanship positions out of 23 in the oil-rich state while the Action Alliance (AA) won a seat.

Fubara immediately swore in the 23 newly elected local government chairmen on Sunday but some of the LG bosses were attacked upon assumption of office on Monday. Some council secretariats were also set ablaze by political opponents.

President Bola Tinubu has since ordered the police to secure the local government secretariats in the oil-rich state.