Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, warned that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is courting anarchy.
He accused the Governor of defying a court judgment.
Wike stated this while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
He warned that disregarding court rulings could result in chaos and the breakdown of law and order.
Wike said, “I was a governor, I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the Governor say that our state is turning into a state of anarchy where people do not obey the rule of law.
“You must obey the judgment of the court. You must not take the law into your own hands. The moment you don’t obey court judgment, you are inviting anarchy, you are inviting violence.”
The Minister also accused Governor Fubara of publicly declaring on national television that he would not comply with a court judgment.
He further lambasted the Rivers Governor over his comments regarding the police providing security for the local government election in Rivers State.
He accused Fubara of being responsible for the violence that enveloped the state on Monday.
Recall that tension escalated in Rivers on Monday, as violence occurred in some local government secretariats.
The unrest followed an order by Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun unsealing the secretariats of the 23 local governments and the immediate withdrawal of police officers who had been stationed there since July.
In spite the withdrawal of the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress and police from the recent LG election, Fubara insisted that elections must take place.
At the end of Saturday’s tension-soaked conduct of the elections, the Action People’s Party won 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions while the Action Alliance secured one seat.
On Sunday, Fubara swore in the 23 newly elected chairmen.
But upon taking office on Monday, the new council bosses were confronted with violent attacks, resulting in the burning down of some council secretariats by suspected arsonists.
President Bola Tinubu, in his intervention, ordered the police to secure the local government secretariats across the state.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara, has appealed to his predecessor, Wike to allow him to govern the state.
Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads over the control of Rivers State’s political structure in the past one year.
Despite the rift between the two leaders, Fubara conducted local government election without the presence of police officers over the weekend.
The Governor while featuring on Channels TV Politics Today, told Wike, “My appeal is that everyone should shield their sword. Even to the Minister, my oga, there is no need to destroy things. He (Wike) once ruled and the state was the envy of every other state.
“Another person is there now, what he needs is to give his support. After four years or who knows eight years, I will also leave and another person will take over. That should be the spirit.
“When the election comes, you can fight and do whatever. But now is time for governance. We need all the support.
“We are complaining that Nigeria’s oil production is low and we are trying to improve our production stage. We have the problems in Emohua and Degema, we are trying to manage it and we are now adding in-house issues. This is an in-house issue that ought not to be out.”
