Wike Mocks Atiku and Bala Mohammed Over Supreme Court Ruling Against Rivers State
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has mocked former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling against the Rivers State government.
Wike questioned whether Atiku and Mohammed would continue to support Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers for disobeying court orders, as they had in the past, following the recent Supreme Court judgment. The court ruled that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation should immediately stop releasing funds to the Rivers State government until Governor Fubara halts all his “illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional” activities. The court stated that funds would only be released once Fubara enacts a lawful Appropriation Law under the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim delivered the judgment on Friday, also ordering the 27 members of the Rivers House of Assembly to resume their functions without delay.
Reacting to the judgment, Wike declared that it was a clear signal that impunity in Rivers State must come to an end. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, he stated, “This is a victory for Rivers people and for Nigerians. The message is clear: enough is enough. The impunity must stop.”
Wike recalled how, when the issue of local government elections arose, Governor Fubara had called a court ruling “corrupt,” and despite refusing to comply with electoral laws, some, including Atiku, had supported him. Wike continued, “Today, the Supreme Court has spoken—without a budget, you cannot receive funds. You must follow the constitution and the law. Until you enact the correct budget, no money should be released.”
He also criticized the Governor’s disregard for court orders related to local government elections and the electoral register, saying, “INEC didn’t release the voter register because Fubara refused to comply with the court’s orders, but people like Atiku were hailing him. I hope they will still hail him now?”
The FCT minister reiterated that the Supreme Court ruling was a decisive stand against the erosion of democratic principles, warning that if allowed to stand, it could lead to situations where one person could claim to constitute an entire legislative body. Wike concluded, “The Supreme Court has said enough is enough. We must not allow this to continue or we risk truncating our democracy.”
