Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, has accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of planning to block the monthly allocations to 22 Local Government Councils in Rivers State.
Frank claims Wike is preparing to secure a court injunction to halt the funds following his failure to stop the successful local government elections held on October 5, 2024.
Frank urged Wike to abandon the alleged plot, warning that such a move could disrupt the economy of Rivers State and undermine democratic progress.
He also called on President Tinubu to intervene, drawing parallels to a similar situation that occurred in Lagos State under ex-President Obasanjo.
The allegations are coming in the wake of the local government elections that successfully took place on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
Frank, in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, claimed that Wike, along with his associates who are opposed to the administration of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, intends to obtain a court injunction to halt funds from the Federation Account to the local councils.
According to Frank, Wike’s proxies are expected to approach a Federal High Court in Abuja in the coming days with a legal request that the allocations be withheld, alleging that the elections violated a prior court ruling.
The Bayelsa-born political activist urged Wike to abandon the plan, citing the potential harm it could cause to the people of Rivers State. Frank also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and prevent Wike from engaging in actions that could tarnish the President’s democratic legacy, drawing parallels to a similar situation in Lagos State when funds were withheld from local governments during Tinubu’s tenure as governor under the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, cautioned the judiciary against granting any frivolous court orders based on Wike’s influence.
He further condemned what he described as the partisan role of the police in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, urging them to protect all citizens rather than align with the ruling APC.
He warned that such a move could lead to economic disruption not only in Rivers State but across Nigeria and potentially reverse the democratic progress the nation has achieved since 1999.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not allow this anti-democratic tendency, reminiscent of the Obasanjo administration’s treatment of Lagos State, to happen again in Rivers,” Frank said. “Any attempt to halt allocations to local government councils must be stopped in its tracks.”
Frank also stressed that any action that could undermine democracy, as seen in some West African states, should be avoided at all costs.
He highlighted the recent Supreme Court ruling that mandates the democratization of all local governments in Nigeria, emphasizing that the people of Rivers State have exercised their democratic rights in electing their local representatives.
Concluding his statement, Frank urged Governor Fubara to remain focused in the face of political opposition and congratulated the people of Rivers State for successfully completing the local government elections. He encouraged continued support for the Governor and his administration.