Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Onueze Chukwujinka Okocha, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has dismissed claims that Nyesom Wike, former Rivers State governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is involved in the ongoing Rivers State local government election crisis. Okocha clarified that it would be erroneous to link Wike to the turmoil, stressing that the issues at hand are strictly legal and not related to personal influence.
Speaking during an interview with Channels TV on Friday, Okocha criticized those pointing fingers at Wike, arguing that such accusations were both unfounded and politically motivated. He stated, “The Minister of the FCT is not a party in this case. Why should anybody be calling his name? The issues involved are issues of law and have nothing to do with personalities.”
Okocha elaborated that the key players in the case were institutions, not individuals. He identified the parties involved as the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the Attorney General of Rivers State, the Government of Rivers State, and the State Security Services (SSS). “People should move away from parochialism and casting aspersions on individuals to score cheap political points,” Okocha emphasized.
The former NBA president also called on Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to heed court orders and cancel the local council elections scheduled for Saturday. Okocha argued that the refusal of INEC to provide the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), along with the Police’s statement that they would not participate in the elections, were clear indications that the election should not proceed.
“The way forward is for the State Independent Electoral Commission, and the Governor of Rivers State, represented by the Attorney General of Rivers State, to obey the order of the court,” Okocha insisted. “INEC has said that we have not given them the register, we will not give them in compliance with the order of the court. The Inspector General of Police, speaking through the police spokesman in Rivers State, has also stated they will not provide security for the election.”
Okocha’s comments come amidst rising tensions in Rivers State as opposition parties and legal institutions challenge the legitimacy of the planned local government elections. The controversy erupted when the RSIEC announced the elections despite a court order halting the process due to legal and administrative irregularities, including INEC’s refusal to provide the necessary electoral materials. In response, critics accused the Rivers State government of attempting to bypass due process, leading to widespread unrest and concerns about electoral transparency.
