The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been urged to refrain from overstepping his authority and allegedly undermining the powers of President Bola Tinubu......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
This warning was issued by Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi, Director General of the Simplified Movement Worldwide (SMW) and outgoing Caretaker Committee (CTC) chairman of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area in Rivers State. Bipi accused Wike of attempting to usurp the President’s power by allegedly instructing Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to halt the recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State.
Speaking in response to the withdrawal of police officers from the election due to a supposed Federal High Court order in Abuja, Bipi condemned Wike’s actions, calling them contrary to President Tinubu’s directive. He highlighted the President’s commitment to implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy, which mandated that all states conduct council elections before October 30.
Bipi questioned why the Inspector General of Police would follow an order from the FCT Minister that conflicts with the President’s directive. He argued, “The President, who gave a three-month deadline for all governors to conduct local government elections in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment, cannot stand by and allow the FCT Minister, his own appointee, to countermand that directive by ordering the Inspector General of Police to act otherwise. This amounts to an usurpation of the President’s powers.”
The Ogu/Bolo Council Boss further cautioned President Tinubu to be vigilant regarding Nyesom Wike, accusing him of seeking to control Rivers State’s resources and presenting a potential threat to presidential authority.
Bipi also criticized the Federal High Court in Abuja, stating that it lacked the jurisdiction to issue an order halting the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) from conducting the election, which is constitutionally mandated. He accused Wike of misleading the court to obtain an order that runs counter to the Supreme Court’s decision on local government autonomy.
Despite these tensions, Bipi praised Governor Siminalayi Fubara for conducting what he described as the most peaceful local government election in Nigeria’s history, even without the presence of security forces. He noted that the absence of police did not affect the peaceful and smooth conduct of the election in Ogu/Bolo and other parts of Rivers State.
Commending the people of Ogu/Bolo, Bipi called the local government area the most peaceful in Rivers State, appreciating the high voter turnout and the calm demeanor of the residents during the election, despite the heightened political tensions.
In his remarks, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Victor, a key stakeholder in Ogu/Bolo, expressed regret over the Nigerian Police’s decision to withdraw from the election, stating that it further tarnished their already strained reputation.