Former Federal Commissioner for Information and prominent South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest and prosecute the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over recent comments threatening to “set fire” to the states governed by members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In a letter addressed to the IGP, which was publicly read during a press briefing at his Asokoro residence on Thursday, Chief Clark expressed deep concern over Wike’s remarks, accusing the former Rivers State governor of making incendiary statements capable of inciting violence.
The controversy stems from a speech Wike delivered at the PDP state congress in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
During the event, Wike issued a warning to PDP governors, cautioning them to steer clear of interfering in the party’s affairs in Rivers State.
He said, “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us.
But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give it back to somebody.
I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see, you take.”
Chief Clark described Wike’s comments as not only reckless but also a “flagrant disrespect” to President Bola Tinubu, who recently appointed Wike as the FCT Minister.
He further labeled the remarks as “unbridled” and asserted that they amounted to treason due to their potential to incite widespread violence across the country.
The elder statesman called on the IGP to take swift action, urging him to treat Wike’s comments with the same seriousness that had been shown towards other individuals accused of incitement in the past.
Clark cited the arrests of African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and participants in the #EndSARS protests, who had been detained for making statements deemed inflammatory by the government.
“The Inspector General must act immediately to arrest the Minister of the FCT and ensure he retracts these dangerous statements.
We cannot afford to ignore such threats, especially when they come from someone in such a high position of power,” Clark said during the briefing.
He added that Wike’s position as a minister should not exempt him from accountability, noting that no one is above the law.
According to Clark, Wike’s comments were unbecoming of a public officer and should not be tolerated.
