Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the legality of the recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State, declaring that the emergency rule granted constitutional cover for their conduct.
Speaking about the backlash following the polls, Wike said critics of the exercise, particularly former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra governor Peter Obi, were ignorant of the law and motivated by political frustration.
The minister, who spoke during a media chat in Abuja, also explained that the Federal High Court had given Rivers State the legal basis to conduct the elections despite subsisting disputes, stressing that emergency rule provided the President with powers to make regulations for governance in affected states.
“Under emergency rule, certain aspects of the law are suspended to allow government function. The sole administrators act on behalf of the President. Funds are made available in line with Supreme Court pronouncements,” Wike said.
He faulted Atiku for questioning the exercise, arguing that the former vice president was unaware that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had signed amendments on emergency powers in 2004. “What you don’t know, don’t comment about. This is law, not Customs. Atiku does not have the knowledge,” he charged.
On Obi, Wike mocked the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate for describing the Rivers polls as “rascality.” “Who can be more rascal than Obi? As governor for eight years, he could only conduct an election two months before leaving office. Doctors were on strike for 13 months under him. He has no moral authority to lecture anyone on democracy,” Wike declared.
On how the alleged alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding local government elections influenced the outcome, the minister dismissed suggestions that the outcome of the Rivers polls, in which the APC secured significant victories, portends a national trend ahead of 2027.
“Every election has its peculiarity. What is important is that for the first time in our history, no gunshots, no hijacking of ballot boxes, no kidnapping of returning officers. If there is an alliance between APC and PDP in Rivers, then Nigerians should commend us for achieving peaceful elections,” he stated.
He attributed the PDP’s poor showing in the state to internal crises, particularly tensions between the state and the party’s national leadership. “We advised those who still had confidence to contest. PDP’s problem in Rivers was created by the national body,” he added.
Regarding the 2027 presidential race, Wike dismissed speculations about his own ambition, insisting he would not run against President Bola Tinubu, whom he serves under.
“I have integrity and character. My appointment is running. There is no way I would contest against him,” he said, adding that he was ready to “place a bet” on Tinubu’s re-election, contrary to forecasts by former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Wike expressed confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects, stating his willingness to “bet” on the incumbent’s victory in the 2027 presidential poll.
Wike’s assurance came in response to a prediction made by El-Rufai, who forecast a poor showing for the incumbent.
“I can place a bet with confidence that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election,” the FCT minister stated.
He further questioned El-Rufai’s projection, asking, “I heard someone say Mr. President will come third in 2027. I don’t know the maths he used. But my concern is, if he (Tinubu) will come third, who will come first and second?”
El-Rufai, in an interview with Channels Television the previous day, had painted a grim picture for the ruling APC in the 2027 presidential election.
“Tinubu will be third in the 2027 election. I have done my maths, and I can tell you Tinubu has no pathway to win. The worst-case scenario is that there will not be any winner in the first ballot,” the former governor had said.
Wike warned that having been terribly damaged by the party’s 2023 zoning arrangement, which placed both the chairmanship and presidential ticket in the North, moves to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan or bring Obi back into the fold would further weaken the PDP.
“I respect Jonathan, but the same people wooing him today sabotaged him in 2015. Bringing Obi back will kill PDP completely,” he cautioned.
Wike condemned what he described as the culture of refusing to concede defeat, noting that only Jonathan had demonstrated statesmanship by accepting electoral loss.
“Politicians must stop deceiving Nigerians. This talk of one-term presidency is false. When you get there, circumstances change. Let Obi first find a platform before promising anything,” he said.
Regarding the PDP convention, Wike revealed that his camp within the party would be meeting soon, stressing that the real issue was not the venue but whether the party had addressed grievances ahead of the gathering.
“Before you get to convention, have you done what you are supposed to do? If not, you risk another crisis,” he warned.
