Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of being the “architect of violence” in the state.
Wike spoke Tuesday while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The immediate past governor of Rivers attributed the violence in the state to Fubara’s failure to obey the rule of law and court judgment.
According to the FCT minister, the governor dismissed the judgment of the federal high court in Abuja that restrained the police and other security agencies from participating in Saturday’s local government elections.
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He said: “When I was governor, I always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor said, our state is turning to a state of anarchy where people did not obey the rule of law. What is obeying the rule of law?.
“You must respect and obey the judgment of the court. You must not take the law into your hands. It does not matter how you see that judgment.
“The moment you don’t obey court judgments, you are inviting anarchy and violence. Was that destruction done before now?
“A governor came out on national television to tell the world that I will not obey court judgment.
“In fact, he said there is nowhere in the judgment that the court said the election should not hold. He went so far as to say, I don’t need police before I conduct the election.
“In that case, who is the perpetrator of the violence, I am not blaming the Governor, but he is the architect of the violence in the state”
“Did you see my supporters causing the mayhem, those shouting No Wike, No Rivers, is not my business. I was in Abuja and not in Rivers on the day of the election”.
Lingering political hostility between Fubara and Wike took a messier trajectory as the state conducted local council elections on Saturday.
Despite the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the police withdrawing from the electoral process, the governor proceeded with the election on Saturday.
The State was thrown into crisis on Monday, a day after the swearing in of 22 winners of the controversial LG elections.
Bloody clashes erupted in at least four local government areas, with sections of buildings in Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua council premises set ablaze by thugs.
Sporadic gunfire was also reported in Ahoada East as a means of resisting the newly appointed council officials.
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