Pro-Wike supporters raise alarm over sponsored anti-govt protest in Abuja

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike

Pro-Wike supporters raise alarm over sponsored anti-govt protest in Abuja

Supporters of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, have raised alarm about a planned anti-government protest in Abuja, allegedly organized by political opponents.

The alleged protest, they claim, aims to discredit recent court decisions in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.

The group of supporters, called “Wike Generation Next,” alleges that certain political figures from Rivers State are behind the planned protest. They believe these opponents are recruiting members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to stage demonstrations in the capital. According to the group, this protest is intended to undermine judicial rulings on two critical issues in Rivers State—the 2024 state budget (appropriation bill) and the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Okazu Powers, the leader of Wike Generation Next, accusing the alleged organisers of trying to twist public opinion against the judiciary and President Bola Tinubu. Powers said that the individuals are trying to destabilize the public’s trust in the judiciary, despite the efforts of President Tinubu to address the escalating tensions in Rivers State. According to Powers, the court decisions were made impartially and should not be challenged through protests.

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The ongoing political tensions in Rivers State stem from a power struggle between Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Recently, a judgment by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja halted allocations to the government of Fubara. The verdict delivered on October 30, 2024, have prevented the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial bodies from releasing funds to the Rivers State government over Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly.

Justice Abdulmalik argued that this action went against the Nigerian Constitution’s requirements for budget approval. She said that the Assembly’s reduced membership, with only four members, did not meet constitutional standards. Justice Abdulmalik also stated that Fubara’s receipt of funds based on the disputed budget violated the law. As a result, she ordered the CBN, the Accountant-General, and banks such as Zenith and Access Bank to block any further access by the Rivers State government to the funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Accounts.