The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not intend to extend the emergency rule currently in place in Rivers State.
Wike made this known during his monthly press briefing on Monday in Abuja, emphasizing that any extension would be unpopular among Rivers people. He noted that the President is instead focused on restoring democratic governance at the local level by supporting the conduct of local government elections scheduled for August 30.
“The President, in his wisdom to bring peace and restore democratic governance at the local government level, directed that the election must be conducted within 30 days,” Wike said. “From my understanding, he does not want to extend the emergency rule. That would not sit well with the people.”
The former Rivers State governor added that without local government elections, the existing legal framework would prevent access to funds from the Federation Account, creating a governance crisis.
“According to the Supreme Court judgment, the governor cannot appoint caretaker committees. If the emergency rule ends and elections are not held, local governments will be left without access to funding,” he said.
President Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for six months amid a political crisis in the state.
Wike explained that the emergency rule allowed the President to issue temporary regulations, including modifying aspects of the 2022 Electoral Act to enable the upcoming local government polls.
He dismissed speculation that his allies would dominate the elections, saying: “I don’t know who defined who my loyalists are. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The issue is not about loyalty; it’s about legal and constitutional processes.”
Wike also criticized those he described as “TV advocates,” insisting that real legal advocacy takes place in the courtroom. He recalled that his team went to court to challenge the legality of certain electoral processes, and not the critics who now cite Supreme Court judgments on media platforms.
He concluded by stressing the importance of the emergency rule in enabling local governments to function and access funds legally.
“Without the emergency rule and the modifications made by the President, local governments would not have been able to access funds. That’s the reality. The emergency rule, though temporary, became necessary,” Wike said.