The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unlikely to extend the state of emergency in Rivers State, as efforts are being made to restore democratic governance at the local government level through elections scheduled for August 30.

 

Wike made the disclosure on Monday during his monthly press briefing in Abuja, where he spoke extensively on the legality of the emergency rule and the path to stabilizing governance in the state.

 

“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,” Wike said.

“The President, from my understanding, does not want to extend the emergency rule.”

 

 

 

The minister emphasized that failing to conduct local government elections could plunge the state into a fresh crisis, particularly with legal limitations preventing governors from appointing caretaker committees as per a Supreme Court judgment.

 

“If you don’t do local government election and leave the emergency rule, how will local governments now access funds?” Wike asked.

 

 

 

President Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Sim Fubara for six months, empowering federal authorities to oversee the restoration of governance.

 

Wike clarified that under emergency powers, the President can modify parts of the Electoral Act, enabling elections to be held swiftly despite existing legal frameworks.

 

“Emergency rule allows the President to make regulations and modify aspects of the law, and that is what he has done by suspending some aspects of the Electoral Act 2022, which he has the power to do,” he added.

 

 

 

On accusations that his loyalists are likely to dominate the upcoming local government elections, Wike dismissed such claims, urging critics to seek legal redress instead of “television advocacy.”

 

“I don’t know who has defined who my loyalists are. With due respect, where you advocate law is not on television, it’s in the courtroom,” he said.

 

 

 

He further criticized those citing Supreme Court judgments without pursuing legal action, stating that it was his administration that took the bold step to seek legal clarification in the past.

 

Wike concluded that without the modification of laws under the emergency rule, local governments would have been unable to access funds from the Federation Account, and reiterated the necessity of the President’s intervention.

 

“Assuming there was no emergency rule, would local governments have accessed funds today? Certainly not. The emergency rule becomes imperative,” he stressed.

 

 

 

The August 30 election is now seen as a crucial step toward lifting the emergency rule and returning full control of Rivers State to its elected government.