Rivers State: Tinubu Not Interested in Extending Emergency Rule – Wike Reveals

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unlikely to prolong the state of emergency in Rivers State, which was declared in recent months due to political unrest and the suspension of local government leadership.

Wike made this known during his monthly press conference held in Abuja on Monday. He elaborated on the constitutional implications of the emergency declaration, especially concerning the scheduled local government elections in Rivers State, which are expected to take place on August 30, 2025.

According to Wike, prolonging the emergency rule would not sit well with the people of Rivers, indicating that President Tinubu supports a swift return to democratic governance, particularly at the grassroots level.

“From what I understand, the President does not wish to extend the emergency rule. In his wisdom, he introduced another regulation in July mandating that the local government elections must be conducted within 30 days,” Wike stated.

He emphasized that this new directive from the President was aimed at restoring democratic structures in local councils as part of a broader peace initiative.

Recall that President Tinubu had earlier imposed a six-month suspension on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, placing Rivers State under a temporary emergency administration.

Wike questioned the sustainability of an emergency rule without an elected local government council:

“If the elections are not held and the emergency continues, how will local governments gain access to their constitutionally allocated funds? The Supreme Court has ruled that governors cannot appoint caretaker committees. Without elections, and with no access to funds, are we not inviting another crisis?”

He explained that the President’s directive for local elections is intended to eliminate the constitutional vacuum created by the emergency, ensuring that both the State Assembly and Governor can resume full responsibility after the rule is lifted.

Wike further pointed out that failure to conduct the elections now would allow the incoming governor to issue a one-year notice, as mandated by the Supreme Court, before conducting new elections. This delay would also prevent the appointment of temporary administrative committees and freeze Federation Account access for local councils.

“That would leave the local government structure in limbo. So the President’s regulation under the emergency law has allowed for modification of the 2022 Electoral Act, which is within his legal authority,” Wike emphasized.

Addressing concerns that the local elections may be manipulated to favor his political loyalists, Wike dismissed such claims outright.

“People keep talking about my loyalists. But who are they? It’s a shame that some people prefer television advocacy instead of taking legal action in court. When the emergency rule was declared, many said it was illegal. But how many actually filed lawsuits to challenge it?”

He criticized political commentators for misinterpreting Supreme Court judgments and choosing to debate judicial matters on television instead of pursuing them in court. Wike recounted how his own legal team was responsible for the court action that resulted in a past ruling against a flawed election process.

“After we secured the judgment, these same people went on air to insult the judiciary, accusing judges of bribery, rather than respecting the legal process.”

The minister reiterated the necessity of legal modifications and emergency governance to allow for the smooth operation of local governments in the absence of elections.

“Don’t forget, local government is the only tier of government without a consistent democratic structure due to these legal and political issues. The Supreme Court has ruled that without an elected local government in place, such councils cannot receive funds from the Federation Account, nor can governors legally install caretaker committees.”

“Because of the emergency rule, the judgment was temporarily set aside, allowing for the appointment of sole administrators, ensuring that local governments were not starved of funds.”

He concluded by emphasizing that the emergency rule was critical to maintain functionality in Rivers State’s local governance system during the crisis period.

“Let’s be honest, without the President’s intervention and declaration of emergency rule, would any local government have access to funds today? Certainly not. The emergency became necessary and timely.”