***Calls for Accountability of Wike, IGP, says Enough is Enough
Comrade Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has strongly condemned the recent burning of two Local Government secretariats in Rivers State, describing it as an act of politically sponsored thuggery.
This violent outbreak occurred following the announcement of results from last Saturday’s local government elections.
In a statement issued from Abuja, Frank expressed his sympathy with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the people of Rivers State over the tragic events, while also calling for urgent action.
He placed the blame for the unrest squarely on the shoulders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, demanding their resignation and holding them accountable for the destruction of government property and the loss of innocent lives.
Frank condemned the police for withdrawing officers from the secretariats, allowing thugs to launch their attack without resistance.
He described the police’s inaction as a deliberate move to enable the violence.
While welcoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to the police to protect lives and property in the state, Frank criticized the President’s response as delayed and biased, favoring Wike’s faction.
He accused Wike of boasting about his supposed presidential backing to destabilize Governor Fubara’s administration and make Rivers ungovernable.
“Wike vowed to set fire to any state that opposed him, and he has started with Rivers,” Frank stated.
He urged President Tinubu to act impartially, fulfilling his oath to serve as Commander-in-Chief for all Nigerians, not just for political allies.
Frank also called on international bodies like the United Nations to take note of the situation and hold the aggressors accountable under relevant international laws. He reaffirmed his support for Governor Fubara, urging the people of Rivers to stand firmly with their governor amid the escalating violence.