Sun. Feb 9th, 2025
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Governor Siminalayi Fubara seems to have taken over control of the political structures in Rivers State following the massive victory of the Action Peoples Party (APP), in the local government election in the state.

The APP secured an overwhelming 22 out of 23 local government area chairmanship seats, with results still pending in Etche Local Government Area.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, made the announcement at the RSIEC office in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

He said that a large voter turnout was recorded and the polls were closed at 3 pm. The commission also confirmed that results for the 319 councillorship positions will be announced alongside those of Etche LGA once the collation concludes.

The results were observed by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), state electoral body chairmen, and Nigerian Bar Association members. The announcement took place at the Ministry of Justice Hall instead of RSIEC’s usual office, a move Enebeli attributed to logistical challenges.

Recall that the election was held despite the opposition from the loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Wike’s loyalists in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and a faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had vowed to boycott the election, citing a judgement by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Intel Region reports that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had in a judgement declared that RSIEC violated requisite provisions by not publishing the mandatory 90 days notice before fixing the date for the election.

The court, therefore, barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election.

Justice Lifu also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service, DSS, from providing security for the polls.

The judgment followed the suit brought before the judge by the state chapter of APC, faulting RSIEC’s move to fix October 5th for the polls.

Despite the court judgement barring the security agencies from participating in the election, Governor Fubara insisted that the election would go on as scheduled.

His stance stirred up the political space last week as some stakeholders lashed out at the governor, while others, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar threw their weights behind him.

Similarly, RSIEC ignored the legal hurdles and said it was ready to conduct the election, claiming to have access to the voters’ register, contrary to INEC’s position.

The election in some places were marred by the activities of some armed men suspected to be political thugs.

A few hours before the election kicked off, suspected arsonists detonated explosives at the APC secretariat in Port Harcourt, destroying parts of the facility.

The state caretaker committee chairman of the main opposition party, Chief Tony Okocha accused Governor Fubara’s supporters of carrying out the heinous attack.

Similarly, while the exercise was going on peacefully in many places, there were heavy gunshots in the Rumuepirikom Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, the home of the FCT Minister.

It was reported that some unidentified persons had gained their ways into the community ahead of the election and announced that people should not come out.

However, when the electoral officers were about to arrive at the ward in the LGA, armed men suspected to be political thugs invaded the place with heavy gunfire scaring people from coming out to participate in the election.

In another development, two people sustained bullet wounds at Igwuruta community, Ikwerre LGA of the state following a move by some youths alleged to be loyalists of Wike to enforce the High Court Judgement.

The alleged move by Wike to control the political structure of Rivers State after his eight years tenure as governor of the state birthed the unending crisis rocking the state.

The Rivers State lawmakers loyal to Wike had extended the tenure of the previous LG Chairmen by six months in a bid to retain the structure but they were removed by Fubara.

Subsequently, the governor on June 19, 2024, nominated caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state.

The nominees were speedily screened and confirmed by the state House of Assembly led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo.

Ahead of the Saturday election, Governor Fubara directed his loyalists to contest the polls under the platform of the Action Peoples Party, APP, following Wike’s strong influence in the PDP.

Announcing the outcome of the election on Saturday night, Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, Chief Election Officer of the RSIEC declared that APP won the chairmanship positions in 22 out of the 23 LGAs.

This victory comes on the heels of the defection of Caretaker Committee Chairmen loyal to Governor Fubara, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APP.

This clearly indicated that Governor Fabara has regained control of the LG structure ahead of next elections.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed strong reservations regarding the election and the declaration of results.

At a press briefing, Rivers PDP Chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, warned that declaring results could incite violence, stating, “We want to caution that any attempt to announce any result whatsoever will be an invitation to violence. No election was held in Rivers State on the 5th of October, 2024, as ordered by the courts.”

Similarly, APC South-South Chairman, Victor Giadom, highlighted discrepancies in the election process, which he said contradicted existing laws. “The entire process of the local government election in Rivers is in conflict with the laws of the land. If the process is done according to law, my party will participate,” Giadom remarked.

Tony Okocha, the former chairman of the APC caretaker committee in Rivers, also voiced concerns about the election’s legitimacy, accusing Governor Siminalayi Fubara of disregarding a court judgment. He cautioned against declaring what he called “fictitious” results, warning it could spark unrest. “The governor’s attempts to enthrone his proteges into the councils will not work,” Okocha added.

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