AfriPulse
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that he unilaterally imposed a movement restriction ahead of the recent area council elections, insisting that the decision was taken with the approval of President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking to journalists after monitoring the polls in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, including Garki, Karu, Karshi, Wasa, Apo, and Ketti, Wike criticised Senator Ireti Kingibe for questioning the directive.
“It is unfortunate, I thought as a Senator she should be able to read. I never imposed a curfew on my own. I said with the approval of Mr. President,” Wike said.
Work-free day and movement restriction
Ahead of Saturday’s council elections, the minister had announced, during a nationwide broadcast on Thursday, that Friday would be observed as a work-free day in the capital.
He also declared a restriction on human and vehicular movement across the FCT from 8 p.m. on Friday to 6 p.m. on Saturday, citing the need to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process.
However, the decision drew criticism from Senator Kingibe, who described it as inappropriate in a democratic setting.
Kingibe raises democratic concerns
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the lawmaker argued that the restriction was imposed without adequate consultation and undermined residents’ constitutional rights.
“The people of the FCT are not subjects under a dictatorship. They are citizens of a democratic republic. Any sweeping restriction on their movement and livelihoods must be justified by compelling evidence, subjected to scrutiny, and carried out with transparency,” she said.
While acknowledging the need for security, Kingibe warned that such concerns should not be used to justify “executive overreach.”
Wike declines prolonged dispute
In response, Wike said he had no intention of engaging in a prolonged public argument with the senator.
“When you hear someone’s speech, why not take time to listen to what was said? She has her problem, I don’t want to join issues.
“At the end of the election, when the results come out, then we will know,” he added.
Low turnout, peaceful polls
Commenting on the conduct of the election, the minister noted that voter turnout was relatively low, especially in the city centre.
Nevertheless, he praised residents for their peaceful participation and commended officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for their roles.
Wike said reports available to him indicated that “no violence has been recorded yet,” expressing satisfaction with the overall atmosphere.
He also lauded INEC’s deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and urged residents to remain orderly until the conclusion of the electoral process.
_(With additional reports from Channels TV)_
Source: NationalAccordNewspaper | Read the Full Story…
