Emergency rule not palatable to Rivers people, Tinubu doesn’t want to extend it – Wike

• He stated that the conduct of the local government election is imperative in order to allow local governments access to their funds

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has stated that President Bola Tinubu is committed to restoring democratic structure and governance in Rivers State.

He also disclosed that Tinubu may not extend the emergency rule imposed on the state because it is unpalatable to its residents.

He made the disclosure during his monthly press briefing in Abuja on Monday where he spoke extensively on the legality of the emergency rule and local government elections scheduled for August 30.

Recall that Tinubu had suspended Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State for six months after declaring a state of emergency in the state.

Speaking on the political happenings in the state, he stated that Tinubu support the conduct of the August 30 election as a way to ensure a democratic structure at the local government level.

He stated that the conduct of the local government election is imperative in order to allow local government access to their funds, noting that not conducting the election could lead to a crisis.

Wike said: “The President, in his wisdom to bring peace and restore democratic governance in local government, came again with another regulation which was in July that this election must be conducted within 30 days, because the President, from my understanding, does not want to extend the emergency rule.

“Extending the emergency rule will not be palatable to the people, but then if you don’t hold local government elections and leave the emergency rule, how will local governments now access funds?

“And when the governor can’t appoint a caretaker committee based on the Supreme Court judgment and they can’t get money, is that not a crisis?

“The President said we don’t want this crisis again. While you are here, conduct this election so that there will be a democratic structure in the local government, and as this emergency rule is being lifted, the governor comes, the Assembly comes, and they take care of the state.

“If they don’t do that election now and the governor comes, he will give notice of one year by the Supreme Court judgment, and when you give such notice, you can’t set up a committee, and they can’t have access to the Federation Account, so what happens to the local government?

“Emergency rule allows the President to make regulations and modify aspects of the law, and that is what he has done by suspending some aspects of the Electoral Act of 2022, which he has the power to do.”