By Daniel Edu
A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for not addressing the involvement of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in the ongoing crisis in Rivers State.
Eze’s comments follow Tinubu’s recent directive to the police to halt the burning of local government secretariats in Rivers, stating that political disputes from the council elections should be resolved by the judiciary. Despite this intervention, Eze expressed disappointment over Tinubu’s omission of Wike’s name, who is widely believed to be a key figure in the unrest.
In a statement on Tuesday, Eze, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), acknowledged Tinubu’s efforts but called the president’s failure to mention Wike “mischievous and unfortunate.”
He stated, “Calling on Governor Fubara without specifically mentioning Wike and his loyalists, who are widely known to be involved in the crisis, is unacceptable. For Tinubu to refuse to call his FCT Minister to order, despite clear evidence linking his associates to these heinous acts, is saddening and mischievous.”
Eze also criticized the ongoing violence, saying, “Those behind these attacks are not denying their involvement. They boldly claim they are protesting the outcome of the local government elections and are preventing duly elected council chairmen from taking office, while security agencies turn a blind eye.”
While praising Tinubu’s concern over the situation, Eze urged the president to give a firm directive to security agencies to arrest the masterminds behind the violence. He further called on the Rivers State Government to investigate and apprehend those responsible for the chaos.
Eze concluded by urging calm in Rivers State and advising Wike to follow the example of other political leaders like Senate President Godswill Akpabio and SGF George Akume, who have maintained peace in their respective states despite holding powerful positions.
