The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has exonerated himself from the political crisis that engulfed Rivers State during and after the October 5 local government area elections.
Mr Wike accused his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, of being the “architect of violence” in the state.
Mr Wike, who stated this during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, said the failure of the governor to comply with a court order on the local government election was responsible for the crisis.
According to the former governor, Mr Fubara dismissed the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja that restrained the police and other security agencies from participating in Saturday’s local government elections.
He said: “When I was governor, I always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor said, our state is turning to a state of anarchy where people did not obey the rule of law. What is obeying the rule of law?.
“You must respect and obey the judgement of the court. You must not take the law into your hands. It does not matter how you see that judgement.
“The moment you don’t obey court judgments, you are inviting anarchy and violence. Was that destruction done before now?
“A governor came out on national television to tell the world that I will not obey court judgement.
“In fact, he said there is nowhere in the judgement that the court said the election should not hold. He went so far as to say, I don’t need police before I conduct the election.
“In that case, who is the perpetrator of the violence, I am not blaming the governor, but he is the architect of the violence in the state.”
“Did you see my supporters causing the mayhem, Those shouting No Wike, No Rivers, is not my business. I was in Abuja and not in Rivers on the day of the election.”
