Why IGP must arrest Wike immediately — Edwin Clark

Elder statesman and Niger Delta leader, Edwin Clark, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Clark was reacting to comments by Wike on states controlled by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after their visit to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

The PDP Governors after their meeting had declared support for Governor Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State.

The governors also promised to liaise with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to ensure that the governor takes his pride of place in the politics of the state.

But worried by the development, the FCT minister, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers, threatened to “to fire in the state” of any governor who interferes in the internal politics of the state.

Weighing in on the development, Clark, in an open letter to Egbetokun on Thursday, titled ‘Arrest Wike Now With a Warrant of Arrest’, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow his relationship with Wike to jeopardize national interest.

He reminded the IGP of his constitutional duty to uphold the law and order without partiality.

Clark emphasised that Wike’s threats not only pose a danger to public peace but also amount to incitement, a serious crime under Nigerian law.

He said: “Nobody is above the law and the law must take its course.

“If you could in the past arrest Omoyele Sowore for similar or less implicating threats against public peace and public officials, if you are right now leading prosecution in law courts against people who participated in ‘End Bad Governance’ protest, what are you waiting to act in this case of Wike?

“My dear IG, at well over 97 years of age, and having held various positions in government including being a Minister over 50 years ago, I am shocked that a public officer who is an appointee of a serving President can descend to this level.

“When we worked under Gen. Yakubu Gowon, GCFR, in the Federal Executive Council, the code of conduct which we were expected to keep especially as it pertained to being instruments of public order was at the highest level.

“There is nothing that Wike has not done in his attempt to sabotage the government of Siminalayi Fubara and install the former speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, his brother, as Governor.

“But all have failed.”