In a fiery response to the ongoing drama in Rivers State, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised those questioning the recent judgments of the Supreme Court, insisting that its rulings must be respected.
Addressing calls for presidential intervention in the crisis, Wike challenged the opposition’s stance, emphasising the legitimacy of the judicial process.
“They took Mr President to court, from the High Court in Rivers State down to the Court of Appeal; they lost, down to the Supreme Court.
“Now the Supreme Court has given judgment, you are going to tell the President to do what? the Supreme Court’s judgment should not be obeyed?”
Wike also took issue with discussions of impeachment, questioning the rationale behind such threats and dismissing them as mere political manoeuvring, but acknowledged that there is nothing wrong with resorting to it if there is a constitutional infraction.
“If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what is wrong? Is it a criminal offence? Is it perverting the constitution? if you have committed an infraction of the constitution, and the assembly deems it fit to say you should be impeached, let me tell you, politics is not played just like this.”
On the broader issue of governance and security, Wike condemned threats of violence, particularly regarding pipeline attacks, stressing that no group holds exclusive influence over national security threats, denouncing the idea of using pipeline threats as leverage against the government.
