Wike Hits Back at Atiku, Peter Obi Over Rivers LG Polls Criticism.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed criticism from opposition leaders over the recent local government elections in Rivers State.
Speaking during a media parley, Wike defended the credibility of the August 30 polls, stressing that no court has declared the election illegal, despite claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.
Responding directly to Atiku, Wike pointed out that the former Vice President appeared unaware of a precedent set during the 2004 emergency rule signed by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom Atiku served.
“Let me be clear, I don’t blame Atiku. He clearly didn’t know that his boss, President Obasanjo, signed an emergency rule in 2004, which empowered the President to make regulations for governing areas under emergency. If he had been aligned with his boss, he would’ve known that,” Wike said.
He added, “This is a legal matter. If Atiku were commenting on the Customs Service, I would give it to him that’s his background. But this is law, and he doesn’t understand it.”
Turning his attention to Peter Obi, Wike questioned the former governor's credibility on matters of electoral integrity, pointing out that Obi only held local government elections in Anambra two months before leaving office after serving for eight years.
Wike also defended the conduct of the Rivers polls, noting they were widely praised for being peaceful and orderly. “There were no gunshots, no ballot box snatching, no abduction of electoral officials. The election was free, fair, and credible,” he said.
According to Wike, the real reason behind the outrage from Atiku and Obi is their frustration over losing political and financial influence in Rivers State.
“They’re angry because they’ve lost access to one of their key funding sources Rivers State. That’s the root of all this noise. They lack the moral standing or capacity to criticise these elections,” he said.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted the elections across all 23 local government areas. The All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in 20 councils, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured three.
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