Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has stated that President Bola Tinubu does not want to extend the emergency rule in Rivers State.
Wike, speaking at his monthly press briefing in Abuja on Monday, explained that the president’s preference is to conduct the local government elections scheduled for August 30 rather than continue the emergency rule, which he believes would be unpopular among the people of Rivers.
Discussing the constitutional and financial challenges caused by the emergency rule, particularly for local governments, Wike noted that local governments in the state would struggle to access funds without a functioning democratic structure.
He clarified that the emergency rule allowed President Tinubu to make necessary regulations, including modifying aspects of the Electoral Act of 2022 to enable elections to take place.
“The President, in his wisdom, decided that this election must be conducted within 30 days because he does not want to extend the emergency rule,” Wike said.
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Furthermore, he emphasized that without the elections, local governments would face a crisis, as they would not have access to funds, nor would they be able to appoint a caretaker committee, as per a Supreme Court ruling.
Wike rejected claims that his supporters would dominate the local government elections in Rivers, saying, “I don’t know who has defined who my loyalists are… The law is what matters here, not television advocacy.”
The minister further explained the necessity of emergency rule in allowing local governments to access funds, noting that without it, the state’s local governments would struggle to operate.
He also reminded critics that the Supreme Court’s modification of the law allowed local governments to access funds, which would otherwise have been impossible under the emergency rule.