The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called for calm following the court ruling that invalidated the candidacy of his preferred aspirant for the Rivers State governorship race. Speaking on the matter, Wike emphasized that the final determination of candidates rests with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is scheduled to release the official list in July.
Wike’s comments came after a Rivers State court nullified the party primaries that produced Kingsley Chinda as the governorship candidate, alongside other candidates vying for National Assembly and State Assembly seats under the All Progressives Congress (APC). The court reinstated Emeke Beke as the party chairman and declared the primaries invalid.
Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal upheld the earlier High Court decision that voided the congresses leading to Tony Okocha’s emergence as chairman. This development effectively sacked Chinda and other Wike allies from the ballot.
During a discussion on state politics, Wike dismissed the speculation surrounding the court’s decision, urging observers to wait for INEC’s official candidate publication before drawing conclusions. He notably criticized Mr. Emeke Bekee for lacking accurate comprehension of the situation and advised him against premature assumptions.
“INEC will publish the list of all party candidates in July. Let’s hold our horses until then. We are weary of hearing from those who have already lost relevance,” Wike asserted.
Addressing the abduction of teachers in Oyo State, the Minister expressed sympathy for the victims, regardless of profession or location, and cautioned against politicizing the incident. He reiterated that such tragedies should not be used for partisan gains.