The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing local government election in the state.
Wike commended the people of the state for turning out in large numbers to participate in the ongoing local government election.
He spoke while addressing journalists after casting his vote at Polling Unit 007, Ward 9 (Rumuepirikom Kingdom), Obia/Akpor Local Government Area.
“I want to thank RSIEC for carrying out a successful conduct of local government elections. Let me make it clear that this is a local government election and I expect particularly the media to have done their homework very well in knowing where the residential areas and commercial areas are.
“When you go to commercial areas, you don’t expect a large turnout of people but when you go to residential areas, of course, you expect people to turn out.
“This is my community, I can see the turn out of people in this particular unit, so it is in other units.
“But If you go to where you have commercial activities, you don’t expect much people,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the people of the state are happy to participate in the local government election.
Wike added: “Rivers people are happy to have their own people contesting elections, so I’m very happy with the turnout of people and I have gotten a lot of reports from the rural areas that people came out very well to participate in the election, so I’m happy.”
He dismissed fears that the Supreme Court might set aside the ongoing local government election.
“There was no election by law, the Supreme Court said there was no election. Today we are holding an election that is why you see people coming out to cast their votes.
“If you do something that is not known to law, of course, it will be set aside and now that the process is very clear and known to law,nobody is worried. All the people are doing is just to come out and cast their votes for whoever they want to represent them at the local government,” he said.
Wike said with the conduct of the polls, local governments are sure of getting their funds directly from the federation account as directed by the Supreme Court.
He pointed out that the successful conduct of the election would go a long way in stabilizing the grassroot level.
Wike further added: “That is why we have to thank Mr President for making sure that this election is conducted. First of all, if election is not conducted, you know that the Supreme Court has said there is nothing like caretaker committees in local governments and if there are no elected people, funds will not come from the Federation accounts to the local government accounts.
“That means that if the emergency rule is lifted and there is no local government election, we will still have the same problem. Now that the local government election is holding, it means that there will be elected people and they will get funds directly from the federation account.
“Everybody must standout to support this particular election in order to stabilize the grassroot level. By the time the emergency rule is lifted in September, it means that the governor and state Assembly will come back, so without local government it will not have been complete.
“So we are very glad that today we are conducting this election and by the end of the day, elected people will emerge, sworn in, and we will know that we have elected representatives at the grassroot level.”
