Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of attempting to sabotage democracy in Rivers State.
Frank alleged that Wike is plotting to obtain a court injunction to block the allocation of funds from the Federation Account to 22 Local Government Councils in the state.
In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, Frank claimed that Wike and his associates resorted to this tactic after failing to prevent the local government elections held on Saturday in Rivers State.
Reports indicate that the Action People’s Party (APP) secured 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions in the election, as announced by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). Meanwhile, the APC had boycotted the elections following a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing voters’ registers to RSIEC. The court also prohibited the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, from providing security during the elections.
Wike, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the immediate past governor of Rivers State, was alleged to have supported the APC’s efforts to block the elections. However, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who had a falling out with Wike shortly after assuming office, proceeded with the elections, citing a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the need for democratically-elected officials to govern local governments across the country.
Frank further alleged that Wike is preparing to approach a Federal High Court in Abuja, through proxies, to seek an injunction to withhold the monthly funds allocation to the 22 LGAs in Rivers State. The political activist from Bayelsa called on Wike to abandon this alleged plan for the benefit of the people and urged him to seek alternative ways to resolve his conflict with Governor Fubara.
Frank also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that such actions could tarnish Tinubu’s democratic reputation. He compared the situation to the era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who withheld local government funds in Lagos during Tinubu’s tenure as governor. Frank cautioned the judiciary against granting any frivolous requests tied to the local government elections.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not stand idly by as Wike schemes to derail democracy in Rivers State, and by extension, Nigeria,” Frank stated. He warned that any move to disrupt the democratic process could have far-reaching economic and political consequences in Rivers and across the country.
“The people of Rivers State have elected their local government leaders in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Any attempt to undermine democracy in the state will face strong resistance from the people,” Frank concluded.
