Trending 
As the local council elections get underway in Rivers State, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has thrown his support behind the exercise. Thanking President Bola Tinubu for his intervention. Speaking at the election, Wike asserted that the polls are being conducted lawfully, contrasting them with previous processes that were legally overturned.
Wike highlighted the importance of the election for grassroots stability and the economic well-being of the local councils. He referenced a Supreme Court judgment that declared caretaker committees illegal and stated that without an elected leadership, funds from the federation account cannot be released to the local government areas.
“If the election is not conducted, just like the Supreme Court has said that there is nothing like a caretaker committee at the local government level, and if there are no elected people, it will mean that funds will not come from the federation account to the local councils,” Wike stated. He emphasised that the election is a crucial step to prevent a governance vacuum and ensure the flow of funds to the people.
The minister also expressed confidence in the democratic process, noting that citizens were freely coming out to vote for their chosen representatives. He said the election ensures that by the time the state of emergency is lifted and the governor and state assembly return on September 18, there will be a complete and functional democratic structure at all levels of government.
“We are very glad that today we are conducting this election, and by the end of the day, elected people will emerge and will be sworn in, and then we will know that we have elected representatives at the grassroots level,” he concluded.
