- Safiu Kehinde
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has fired back at former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, over his criticism of the just concluded Rivers State Local Government election.
NPO Reported that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had on Saturday conducted the rerun election following the Supreme Court’s annulment of October 2024 election conducted by the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.
The rerun election saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) securing 20 councils while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the remaining three councils.
However, the conduct of the election was criticised by Atiku Abubakar who in a post on his X handle on Sunday labelled that election as awfully absurd.
Atiku called on all opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the LG election as he claimed it was conducted under an illegitimate government.
In the same vein, the 2023 Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, described the election as a mockery of democracy.
Reacting to the criticism while speaking during his monthly media parley, Wike slammed Atiku, stressing that he is ignorant of the emergency rule signed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“I don’t blame Atiku. He didn’t know that his boss signed the emergency rule in 2004. If he knew, he would have worked along with his boss who was President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“He would have known that the President has power to make regulations as per the governance of emergency areas. He was not in tune. He doesn’t know. And like I’ve said, what you don’t know. you don’t comment about it.
“If he had commented about customs now, I know he worked in customs. He had experience So, I can give it to him. But this is the law. He doesn’t know that his boss signed the emergency rule.” Wike said.
On Peter Obi’s comment, Wike labelled the former Anambra governor a rascal.
The FCT Minister maintained that Obi is not in pole position to criticise an LG election as cited his conduct of Anambra election two months before leaving office after eight years.
“Take Peter Obi. He said rascality. Who can be more rascal than Peter Obi? Obi became the governor. He was governor in Anambra state for eight years.
“He conducted local government election two months to when he was leaving office. Does he have what it takes to comment about conduct of election that was backed up by the law?
“When Obi was governor, Nigerians forgets easily. Doctors were on strike for 13 good months. Hospitals were shut down. When he says rascality, who is more rascal?” Wike asked.
The FCT Minister accused Obi and Atiku of being angry due to their loss of influence in Rivers state.
“Their anger is that they are looking for where they will get funding and that is no longer available in Rivers State. They have no capacity to even talk about election.
“A competent court, the Federal High Court, gave judgement that don’t do this. Atiku was one of those who hailed the conduct of that of election.” He added.