…backs August 30 LG elections to restore democratic governance
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is unlikely to extend the state of emergency currently in place in Rivers State.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike said the President is focused on restoring democratic structures at the grassroots level, starting with the conduct of local government elections scheduled for August 30.
“The President, in his wisdom to bring peace and restore democratic governance in local government, came again with another regulation in July that this election must be conducted within 30 days,” Wike said. “From my understanding, the President does not want to extend the emergency rule. That won’t sit well with the people.”
President Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, leading to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara for six months. The move also paved the way for temporary administrative measures, including the appointment of a sole administrator to oversee local governments.
Wike emphasized that failure to conduct elections would prevent local governments from accessing funds from the Federation Account. He cited a Supreme Court ruling which bars governors from appointing caretaker committees in place of elected local officials.
“If they don’t do that election now and the governor returns, he’ll have to give a one-year notice before any election, according to the Supreme Court,” Wike said. “Without an election, no access to funds. No caretaker committee. That’s a crisis.”
Wike also dismissed claims that his political loyalists are set to dominate the coming local government polls. “I don’t know who defined who my loyalists are,” he said. “People should stop being television advocates. The place to challenge laws is the courtroom, not on air.”
He maintained that the emergency rule allowed the President to temporarily suspend certain aspects of the Electoral Act to avert a governance vacuum in the state.
“Assuming there is no emergency rule, would local governments have accessed funds today? Certainly not,” Wike said. “The emergency rule became imperative to sustain local administration and prevent constitutional crisis.”
With the August 30 election on the horizon, the Tinubu administration appears keen on lifting the emergency rule, allowing normal governance to resume under a restored democratic framework.
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