The Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has absolved the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of blame over the current ordeals of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying it is self-inflicted.
Wike, who spoke on Tuesday in Abuja when he received the Management Team of DAAR Communication on a courtesy visit, also urged the media to uphold the principles of fair reporting and not give in to sensationalism.
The Minister noted that when politicians fail to put their house in order, they will revert to blaming the judiciary or the electoral umpire.
Wike stated that the politicians who have joined the ADC are only interested in pushing out the current administration, but do not want to do the right thing.
He further called on Nigerians, especially social media influencers, to desist from spreading fake and unverifiable information against the government, especially something that is not within the limits of their knowledge.
Wike said, “When I saw the decision taken by INEC, and then I also read the press conference of the chairman and his team of the African Democratic Congress.
“ If you do not understand it, obviously, you will blame INEC. There’s no way you will not blame INEC. But if you go back and follow the scenario, you will know that there’s nothing you can hold INEC responsible for, nothing. If you are not biased, you will know that INEC has no blame at all, at all.
“ We politicians should be able to put our house in order. The only thing when it happens like this, we blame the judiciary, and we blame INEC now. The next thing, again, is the government in power.
“Until I came out to say that if anybody was saying that, no judgment says so-so-so, what were you appealing for? Why did you go to the Supreme Court? What was the judgment that you wanted to appeal to the Supreme Court? Because if you have won a case, you don’t go and appeal.
“ It’s only when the existence of judgment is affecting you that you go and appeal. So what is it that you want to appeal? Did you even tell people that you want to appeal a certain judgment?
“So if that is the case, what do you expect INEC to do in this case? INEC said, look, I will keep to the orders of the court as I should, until you resolve your matters in court. That’s not why anybody should answer, oh, INEC did that”.
