A statue of Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was dismantled by protesters in the Obi Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred amidst escalating tensions over the tenure of local government chairmen.
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The protest, led by angry youths, signifies the ongoing political conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
The two political figures, once allies, have been at odds since Fubara succeeded Wike as governor.
While their public disputes had momentarily subsided, the issue of local government chairmen’s tenure has reignited the discord.
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Governor Fubara had ordered all 23 local government chairmen, who are loyal to Wike, to vacate their positions due to the expiration of their tenure.
However, these chairmen have refused to comply, citing a six-month extension granted by the Wike-aligned faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, which argued that the extension was necessary due to the Fubara administration’s failure to conduct local government elections.
In response to Fubara’s statewide broadcast on Tuesday, directing the chairmen to hand over to their respective Heads of Administration, large numbers of youths mobilized to local government secretariats across the state.
In Obi Akpor, where Wike had served as chairman for two terms, protesters demolished a statue erected in his honor.
The demonstrators chanted “No more Wike” as they destroyed the statue, with one individual notably smashing the hat from the statue onto the ground.
