The newly elected Chairman of Obio-Akpur Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chijoke Ifunwo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove Mr Nyesom Wike from the position of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). requested.
Mr. Ifunwo maintains that Mr. Wike, who is suspected of interfering with elections in Rivers State, is not eligible to serve in the presidential cabinet.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Mr. Ifunwo claimed that Mr. Wike’s actions pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, especially in view of the recent incidents of violence following local government elections.
“There is no need to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, Rivers State is very peaceful,” Ifunwo said. What we want to do is ask the President to call Nyesom Wike and give him orders. Mr. Nyesom Wike is threatening democracy under the presidential regime. Wike is not God, Wike is human. Our president should call him and give him orders. He has disrupted our nation. When you go to other states, they are all very peaceful. Why Rivers State? Wike cannot own Rivers State and Rivers State is too big for him to hold. ”
“We also appeal to the President to address Mr. Nyesom Wike or remove him immediately because he is not even qualified to be in the President’s cabinet. Look at you Nigerians. Cabinet. We have ministers, but how many of them are creating trouble in the state? Please do what they ask instead of creating a crisis,” he added.
Mr. Ifunwo described the aftermath of local government elections in which violence broke out after newly elected officials were sworn in.
“We went outside to inspect the office. When we went in, we saw the level of damage that had been done there. Then we started hearing gunshots across the street. I started hearing voices of thugs trying to break into the city council building and set it on fire. However, because of the security guards attached to the city council, they were unable to enter and were shooting from across the street. he said.
He further expressed confidence in the resilience of local governance, saying: Local government existed even before the FCT Minister took office. So sponsoring people to start shooting all over the local government is just ridiculous. And while Wike threatens Nigeria’s democracy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we will be fine.
“It’s his own fault. Wike did the same thing to Rotimi Amaechi and today Rivers people are doing the same thing to him because he refused to leave Rivers State alone. “He turned the River State into his own private industry and we said no,” he said.
Despite the turmoil, Ifunwo reassured the people of his commitment to peace. “We are not afraid. I am not speaking as a youth leader. I am now the president of the council. We are preaching peace and telling our people: “We are not afraid. The governor of our state is a man of conscience, so please stay calm about the crisis in our state. He’s a man who knows what’s right. But I advise the youths they are using to create a crisis in our state to step back. ”
