Atiku Lacks Knowledge of Law, Obi Has No Moral Authority on Democracy – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended the legality of the recent local government elections in Rivers State, dismissing criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. Speaking in Abuja during a media chat, Wike said the polls were conducted under the framework of emergency rule and in line with constitutional provisions.

He accused Atiku and Obi of ignorance of the law and playing politics with the issue. According to him, emergency powers suspend certain aspects of the law to allow governance, with sole administrators acting on behalf of the president in line with Supreme Court pronouncements. Wike argued that amendments to the exercise of such powers had been in place since 2004 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, stressing that Atiku lacked the legal basis to fault the elections.

Responding to Obi’s criticism of the polls as “rascality,” Wike pointed to Obi’s record as governor, accusing him of hypocrisy. He said Obi only conducted an election at the end of his eight-year tenure and allowed doctors to remain on strike for 13 months, questioning his moral authority to speak on democracy.

On claims that the outcome of the Rivers elections was a product of collaboration between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, Wike dismissed the speculation. He argued instead that the exercise should be commended for being peaceful, noting that for the first time in the state’s history there were no gunshots, ballot box snatching, or intimidation of electoral officials.