Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Onueze Chukwujinka Okocha, has clarified that Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State governor, is not involved in the ongoing Rivers State local government election crisis. He dismissed claims that link Wike to the election, describing them as unfounded.
In an interview with Channels TV on Friday, Okocha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that it would be misleading to accuse Wike of influencing the situation. He explained that the legal issues surrounding the crisis have nothing to do with Wike's current or past political roles.
“The Minister of the FCT is not a party to the case. There is no reason for anyone to bring his name into the matter. The issues at hand are strictly legal and are not connected to individual personalities,” Okocha said during the interview.
He further elaborated that the parties involved in the election crisis include institutions such as the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, the Attorney General of Rivers State, the Government of Rivers State, and the State Security Services. Okocha urged people to refrain from making baseless accusations and instead focus on the legal aspects of the situation.
“People should avoid being parochial and stop casting aspersions on individuals to score cheap political points,” Okocha remarked, emphasizing the need to focus on the institutions involved.
The former NBA president also called on the current Governor of Rivers State, Siminalaya Fubara, to comply with court orders and cancel the local council elections that were scheduled for Saturday.
Okocha pointed out that the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to submit the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and the statement from the Police, indicating that they would not participate in the election, were sufficient reasons for Governor Fubara to call off the elections.
“The proper course of action is for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, represented by the Governor of Rivers State and the Attorney General, to respect the court’s decision. INEC has clearly stated that they will not provide the register, nor will they do so in compliance with the court order,” Okocha explained.
He also mentioned that the Inspector General of Police, through a spokesperson in Rivers State, affirmed that the Police would comply with the court's ruling and would not provide security for the elections.
Okocha concluded by reiterating the importance of following the legal process and avoiding unnecessary political speculation.