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Says it’s key for grassroots democracy
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s role in ensuring that the local government elections were held following the Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing caretaker committees in local governments.
He stated this on Saturday after voting at Polling Unit 007, Ward 9 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the local government election in Rivers State, describing it as a crucial moment for restoring grassroots democracy.
“Since the Supreme Court has said there is nothing like caretaker committees in local governments, if there are no elected people, funds will not come from the Federation Account to the local government accounts,” Wike stated.
Wike commended the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for what he called a successful and orderly poll. He praised the significant turnout, especially in residential areas, highlighting that the people of Rivers are enthusiastic about participating in the democratic process: “Rivers people are happy to have their own people contesting elections, so I’m very happy with the turnout,” he said.
He warned that without elected local government officials, even if the emergency rule is lifted, funding problems would persist. He added that having elected representatives is critical to stabilising governance at the grassroots level.
On the legal challenges surrounding the elections, Wike dismissed fears that the Supreme Court might invalidate the ongoing electoral process, explaining, “There was no election by law; the Supreme Court said there was no election. Today we are holding an election, that is why you see people coming out to cast their votes.” He highlighted that the current election is lawful and recognised by the court.
Wike concluded by urging full support for the elections as a foundation for a complete democratic system in Rivers State, stating: “By the time the emergency rule is lifted in September, it means that the governor and state Assembly will come back, so without local government it would not have been complete… elected people will emerge, be sworn in, and we will know that we have elected representatives at the grassroots level.”
He underscored the importance of the elections in restoring local government autonomy and enabling direct access to federal funds for grassroots governance, reinforcing a critical phase in Rivers politics under recent legal and administrative changes.
This election followed a landmark Supreme Court ruling that declared caretaker committees unconstitutional and mandated democratically elected local government councils to receive funds directly from the Federation Account, a decision strongly supported by Wike and President Tinubu’s administration.