Former local government chairmen in Rivers State, who were elected into office on October 5, 2024, but removed by the Supreme Court in February 2025, have boycotted Saturday’s local council elections.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!It was also learned that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara is currently outside the country and, therefore, could not take part in the elections.
Some of the former council bosses expressed displeasure over what they described as their untimely removal from office and the suspension of a democratically elected governor, insisting that Rivers State was not in a state of crisis to warrant such actions.
According to them, they remain in political mourning pending the reinstatement of Governor Fubara on September 18, 2025.
One of the ex-chairmen, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained their decision:
“We are not participating in the council elections because we are not members of the political party that organised them. We are still mourning and waiting for the return of our principal (Fubara). If the emergency rule had been lifted, we would have been happy to participate, but we are not yet pleased. They nullified a democratically held local government election and went on to conduct elections under an emergency regime. Is that right?”
In contrast, another former chairman, Looloh Lahteh, welcomed the exercise, noting that his camp supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the polls.
Similarly, former Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Pygbara, who served under Governor Fubara, also endorsed participation, stressing the need to prioritize peace in the state.
“The peace move in our state is a welcome development. So, there is nothing wrong with supporting and participating in the elections. Though the whole thing came with mixed feelings, everyone is encouraged to embrace peace for the development of our dear state, and that is what we are doing,” he said.