Wike Asks Those Claiming His Preferred Candidate For Rivers Governorship Were Disqualified To Wait For INEC's List In July
Former governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that his preferred candidates for the 2027 elections in the state have been disqualified by the court.
Former governor of Rivers State and
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that his preferred candidates for the 2027 elections in the state have been disqualified by the court.
Wike asked those making the claims to wait until the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, published the final list of candidates submitted by political parties in July before reaching their conclusions.
He spoke while reacting to political developments in Rivers State, particularly the controversy following recent court decisions affecting the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state and candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that his preferred candidates for the 2027 elections in the state have been disqualified by the court.
Wike asked those making the claims to wait until the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, published the final list of candidates submitted by political parties in July before reaching their conclusions.
He spoke while reacting to political developments in Rivers State, particularly the controversy following recent court decisions affecting the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state and candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries.
According to him, those making claims that candidates backed by his political camp had been dismissed should stop speculating and wait for INEC’s official publication.
His words, “In July, the candidates of the parties will be published by INEC. Let us wait till July. We are tired of hearing from people who have lost out.”
His words, “In July, the candidates of the parties will be published by INEC. Let us wait till July. We are tired of hearing from people who have lost out.”
The controversy followed a court ruling in Rivers State, which reinstated Emeka Beke’s leadership and declared the nominations from the recently concluded party primaries in the state null and void.
The primaries had produced Kingsley Chinda, an ally of Wike, as the governorship candidate after Governor Siminalayi Fubara withdrew from the race.
Several other allies of the FCT minister also emerged as candidates of the APC for the 2027 National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
However, the court decision has created fresh uncertainty within the Rivers APC, with some members insisting that the primaries conducted under the disputed leadership structure cannot stand.
The development was further compounded. when Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, reportedly upheld the judgment of the state High Court, which nullified the congresses that produced Chief Tony Okocha as chairman of the APC in the state.
Reacting to comments credited to Beke over the alleged dismissal of candidates of the Rivers State Rainbow Coalition, Wike said Beke did not properly understand the issues involved and urged him and others making claims about the fate of APC candidates to remain patient until INEC made the official list public, noting that until INEC published names of recognised candidates, those speaking on the matter were only engaging in speculation.
The primaries had produced Kingsley Chinda, an ally of Wike, as the governorship candidate after Governor Siminalayi Fubara withdrew from the race.
Several other allies of the FCT minister also emerged as candidates of the APC for the 2027 National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
However, the court decision has created fresh uncertainty within the Rivers APC, with some members insisting that the primaries conducted under the disputed leadership structure cannot stand.
The development was further compounded. when Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, reportedly upheld the judgment of the state High Court, which nullified the congresses that produced Chief Tony Okocha as chairman of the APC in the state.
Reacting to comments credited to Beke over the alleged dismissal of candidates of the Rivers State Rainbow Coalition, Wike said Beke did not properly understand the issues involved and urged him and others making claims about the fate of APC candidates to remain patient until INEC made the official list public, noting that until INEC published names of recognised candidates, those speaking on the matter were only engaging in speculation.
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