The battle for the control of oil rich Rivers state is raging on as the Minister of the Federal capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has accused the state governor, Siminalaye Fubara of being the architect of the recent violence in the state.
The minister, the immediate past governor of the state made the allegation on Tuesday on Channels Television, saying the governor is responsible for the violence because of his failure to obey the law.
The magazine reported that violence erupted in the state on Monday following the conduct of the local government elections on October 5 by the state government.
No fewer than seven persons were reported killed, dozen other wounded, while four LGA secretariats have also been touched by suspected arsonists.
Governor Fubara and Wike, a former political ally are strongly divided over the election, and their supporters have clashed violently as the battle for the control of the soul of the state rages on.
Governor Fubara has since sworn in the 23 chairmen declared winners by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC.
Speaking on Tuesday, the FCT minister said the governor should be blamed for the violence because he refused to obey the court ordered the election not to hold.
He said under Fubara “our state is turning to a state of anarchy where people did not obey the rule of law”.
According to him, there is a subsisting order from a federal high court in Abuja stopping the election.
Recall that Governor Fubara also justified the conduct of the election with a ruling from a high court in the state.
Wike however stated that the governor is the ‘architect’ of the anarchy that has now engulfed the entire state, noting that “the moment you don’t obey court judgments, you are inviting anarchy and violence.”
The minsiter said, “When I was governor, I always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor said, our state is turning to a state of anarchy where people did not obey the rule of law. What is obeying the rule of law?”
“You must respect and obey the judgment of the court. You must not take the law into your hands. It does not matter how you see that judgment.
“The moment you don’t obey court judgments, you are inviting anarchy and violence. Was that destruction done before now?
“A governor came out on national television to tell the world that I will not obey court judgment.
“In fact, he said there is nowhere in the judgment that the court said the election should not hold. He went so far as to say, I don’t need police before I conduct the election.
“In that case, who is the perpetrator of that violence? It is not about blaming. The governor is the architect of the violence in Rivers.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had on Tuesday, urged Governor Fubara to take charge of the state, the president also directed Kayode Egbetokun , the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to step up security in other to stem the violence.
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