A controversy has erupted in Rivers State following the conduct of local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on Saturday. The election, which was directed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was marred by violence and allegations of irregularities.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The loyalists of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had vowed to boycott the election, citing a judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court had declared that RSIEC violated requisite provisions by not publishing the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the election date.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voter register to RSIEC and prohibited the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service from providing security for the polls. The judgment followed a suit brought by the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging RSIEC’s move to fix October 5 for the polls.
Despite the court judgment, Governor Fubara insisted that the election would proceed as scheduled. His stance drew criticism from some stakeholders, while others, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, supported him. RSIEC ignored the legal hurdles, claiming access to the voter register.
The election was marked by violence in some areas, with suspected political thugs detonating explosives at the APC secretariat in Port Harcourt. Chief Tony Okocha, the state caretaker committee chairman of the APC, accused Governor Fubara’s supporters of carrying out the attack.
Heavy gunfire was reported in Rumuepirikom Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, and two people were injured in Igwuruta community, Ikwerre LGA, as Wike’s loyalists enforced the High Court judgment.
The crisis in Rivers State stems from an alleged move by Wike to control the political structure after his eight-year tenure as governor. The Rivers State lawmakers loyal to Wike had extended the tenure of previous LG chairmen by six months but were removed by Fubara.
Governor Fubara nominated caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas on June 19, 2024. The nominees were screened and confirmed by the state House of Assembly led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo.
Ahead of the election, Governor Fubara directed his loyalists to contest under the Action Peoples Party (APP) due to Wike’s strong influence in the PDP. RSIEC declared APP winner in 22 out of 23 LGAs.
However, the APC rejected the election outcome, insisting no election was held. APC Publicity Secretary Ikenga Chibike described the election as a “cooked-up result.”
“The law remains the law,” Chibike said. “It says that if RSIEC must conduct a proper election, it must follow due process. We boycotted the election to obey the Federal High Court judgment.”
The crisis in Rivers State is far from over, with the APC and Governor Fubara’s factions locked in a bitter struggle for control.