Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has denied allegations that he supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent local government elections in Rivers State.
Wike stated during a monthly media parley on Monday in Abuja that he only campaigned for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his own local government area.
According to him, “You always say Wike cannot influence what happens in other local government, insisting that he can only influence what happens in his own local government. I campaigned for my people to vote for PDP, and they did in my local government,” he said.
Wike cited the PDP’s victories in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas his areas of influence as evidence of his support for the party. He dismissed criticism over APC’s wins in other parts of the state.
“Now you are angry that APC won in their local governments, which means why did I not extend the influence I didn’t have,” he said, arguing that the election results reflected local choices, not his influence.
Responding to claims of a secret alliance between the APC and PDP, Wike challenged journalists to verify their information.
“You don’t have the facts. If I were you, I would have researched which parties participated and come back with facts. This is for me to educate the public, not the other way around,” he said.
Wike also addressed concerns about the legality of the elections, which some claim violated electoral timelines due to the emergency rule in the state.
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He argued that the Emergency Powers Act of 2004 empowers the President to modify parts of the law to allow governance to continue.
“Some people say the Electoral Act requires 90 or 150 days. They forget the President has the power to suspend some sections, which he did through regulation,” Wike explained.
He stated that conducting the elections was necessary for local governments to access funds from the Federation Account.
According to him, failure to hold the elections would have disrupted administrative and financial operations.
“If the election is not conducted, how will local governments access funds? How will civil servants be paid? That would lead to a crisis, and the President had to act through the regulations he made,” he said.
Wike maintained that while he supported the PDP in his local government, he had no control over outcomes in other areas and should not be blamed for the APC’s victories elsewhere in the state.
