Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, has weighed in on the ongoing legal controversies surrounding the Rivers State local government elections. During an exclusive interview with Channels Television on the Politics Today program FROM 21:37, Wike emphasized that the Federal High Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over any case involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asserting that no State High Court can preside over such matters.
Wike explained that the involvement of federal agencies such as INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, and the State Security Service (SSS) in the local government election necessitates that the Federal High Court oversees any related legal disputes. “That’s the problem people have. The issue is INEC don’t release voters’ register, Police don’t be part of it, SSS don’t be part of it. These are federal agencies. You cannot go to the State High Court, you have to go to the Federal High Court,” he said.
The minister’s comments come amidst growing political tension in Rivers State, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara is facing criticism for his handling of the local government election process. Legal challenges to the election process, including one brought by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), were taken to the Federal High Court, and Wike’s remarks have reinforced the view that this is the proper judicial forum for such cases.