ABUJA — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has hit back at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party leader Peter Obi over their criticism of the recently conducted Rivers State local government elections.
Both Atiku and Obi had in separate statements described the polls as unlawful, but Wike dismissed their remarks, insisting the elections were legitimate and widely acknowledged as free and fair.
Speaking at a media parley on Monday, Wike defended the process, stressing that no court had declared the exercise illegal.
“Listen, I don’t blame Atiku; he didn’t know that his boss signed the emergency rule in 2004. If he knew, if he was obedient and working along with his boss, who was President Olusegun Obasanjo, he would have known that the President has the power to make regulations for the governance of emergency areas,” Wike said.
He continued, “So, he was not in tune. He doesn’t know, and as I said, what you don’t know, don’t comment about it. If Atiku had comments about Customs, I know he has worked in Customs. I can give it to him, but this is law.”
Turning to Obi, the minister said the former Anambra governor lacked the moral right to question the conduct of elections.
“Now take Peter Obi. He said rascality. Who can be more [of a] rascal than Obi? Obi was the governor of Anambra State for eight years. He conducted local government elections two months before he left office — eight years as governor,” Wike fired.
The FCT minister maintained that both opposition leaders were only playing politics with their comments, insisting the Rivers polls remain valid and credible.
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