The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of being the architect of violence in the state for defying a court judgment. Wike made these remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Tuesday.
“Who is the perpetrator of the violence? I am not blaming the Governor, but he is the architect of the violence in the state,” Wike stated during the interview.
He also refuted any involvement of his supporters in the violence, emphasizing, “Did you see my supporters causing the mayhem? Those shouting ‘No Wike, No Rivers’ is not my business. I was in Abuja and not in Rivers on the day of the election,” Wike told Channels TV anchor Seun Okinbaloye.
Wike further criticized Governor Fubara for disobeying a court order, which he claimed led to the breakdown of law and order in Rivers State. “I was a governor; I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor say that our state is turning into a state of anarchy where people do not obey the rule of law,” Wike remarked.
He stressed the importance of adhering to judicial rulings, stating, “You must obey the judgment of the court. You must not take the law into your own hands. The moment you don’t obey court judgment, you are inviting anarchy, you are inviting violence.”
The comments come amidst reports of post-election violence in Rivers State. According to Vanguard, five people were killed, and over three Local Government Secretariats were burnt following protests by political thugs allegedly loyal to the immediate former governor. These incidents occurred after the controversial outcome of the Local Government election in the state.
