Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu does not intend to extend the state of emergency in Rivers State.
Wike made this known on Monday, during his monthly press briefing in Abuja.
Speaking on the legality of the emergency rule and the scheduled August 30 local government elections.
Wike explained that President Tinubu supports the polls as a way to restore democratic governance at the grassroots.
He said, “The President, in his wisdom to bring peace and restore democratic governance in local government, came again with another regulation 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.”
Wike stressed that an extension would not be welcomed by the people of Rivers State.
“Extending the emergency rule will not be palatable to the people,” he said.
“But then if you don’t do local government election and leave the emergency rule, how will local governments now access funds?”
He also pointed out the legal implications of not conducting elections.
“When the governor can’t appoint a caretaker committee based on Supreme Court judgment and they can’t get money, is that not crisis?”
Dismissing claims that his loyalists were being strategically placed to win council seats, Wike said, “I don’t know who has defined who my loyalists are, but ignorance of the law is not an excuse.”
He concluded, “Assuming there is no emergency rule, would local governments have accessed funds today? Will the states have accessed funds today? Certainly not so the emergency rule becomes imperative.”
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