By John Paul
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 20 out of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Rivers State local government elections held on Saturday, August 30.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was victorious in only three LGAs, namely Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.
The APC also secured the majority of councillorship seats, winning in 20 LGAs, while the PDP clinched councillorship positions in the three LGAs where it won the chairmanship.
This is the first time since 1999 that an opposition party has recorded a sweeping victory in Rivers State.
Announcing the results at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) headquarters in Port Harcourt on Sunday, the RSIEC Chairman, Michael Odey, said certificates of return would be presented to all winners on Monday, September 1.
The elections are viewed as a step toward lifting the state of emergency imposed on the state in March this year by President Bola Tinubu, following a protracted feud between the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Wike, who voted during the polls, hinted that with the polls concluded, the suspension of Fubara and the state House of Assembly would be lifted by September 18.
He described the exercise as crucial for stabilising governance at the grassroots level and commended Tinubu for ensuring that the elections were held, noting that without them, local governments would not have access to federal allocations.
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, yesterday condemned Saturday’s local government elections in Rivers State, describing the exercise as “an awful absurdity” and urging opposition parties to reject the outcome.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had earlier announced the results on Sunday, declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) victorious in 20 out of 23 local government areas (LGAs), while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won three LGAs, including Obio-Akpor, Port Harcourt City (PHALGA), and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA). Governor Siminalayi Fubara notably lost his Opobo-Nkoro LGA to the APC.
Reacting in a statement released on his official X handle, Atiku said the conduct of the polls undermined Nigeria’s democracy.
“The local government election conducted by the occupation government in Rivers State is an awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy,” he wrote.
The former VP accused the APC of manipulating the process to gain undue political advantage.
“By the shameful and shambolic manner in which the occupation government went ahead to conduct local government elections in Rivers State, it is clear that the ruling APC party is not leaving anyone in doubt that it is prepared to throw caution to the wind in order to achieve an inordinate political advantage,” Atiku said.
The PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election further called on Nigerians and the international community to take note of the development.
“It therefore becomes necessary to call the attention of well-meaning Nigerians, the international community, and all friends and partners of Nigeria to the dangerous curve that the President Bola Tinubu regime is taking our dear country,” he added.
Atiku also urged opposition parties in Rivers to reject the results, insisting the election lacked legitimacy.
“I will also call on all opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the local government election on the premise that the occupation government that conducted the exercise is extraneous to our laws, with absolutely no legitimacy to undertake such a crucial and sensitive assignment,” he said.
He expressed solidarity with the people of Rivers State, describing them as victims of political brigandage.
“In the same breath, I wish to share my unflinching solidarity with the good people of Rivers State, who are currently victims of political brigandry by a power cabal which is bent on overturning their democratic rights at all costs,” Atiku stated.
Reacting to the Saturday election, the Head of Mission of the Rivers State Local Government Election Observation Team, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, described Saturday’s council polls as one of the most peaceful elections in recent Nigerian history.
Dr. Nwambu confirmed that 330 observers were deployed across the 23 local government areas of the state, with no incidents of violence, thuggery, or vote-buying reported.
“As the head of mission for election observation here in Rivers State, my centre has deployed about 330 observers across the 23 local government areas.
“We had a pre-election observation and analysis where we noticed there was no violence or acrimony. Campaigns were strictly issue-based, and personalities were not being attacked, unlike in the past,” he told reporters in Port Harcourt on Saturday evening.
While acknowledging slight delays in voting in some areas, he noted that polling generally commenced in good time.
“In places like Ward 7 and parts of Elelewon, voting began around 9:00 or 9:30 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. But overall, the process was orderly,” Nwambu explained.
On security, he gave a glowing assessment of security agencies’ conduct during the exercise.
“Generally, the environment is peaceful. We’ve not observed any incidents of electoral-related violence. The police, as the lead agency, are on top of the game.
“This is one of the best elections in terms of performance of law enforcement agencies. They are not brutalising anybody. Unlike in the past, they are even assisting observers where necessary, provided everyone conducts themselves peacefully,” he said.
Nwambu further highlighted the absence of vote-buying, which he described as a “remarkable development.”
“In all the observers we deployed, there is no case of vote-buying observed anywhere. This is a pace setter. This is how an election should be,” he declared.
He also pointed out that the high turnout reflected renewed enthusiasm among voters.
“In previous elections, there was very high voter apathy. But this time, people came out en masse to exercise their franchise,” he said.
“We would recommend this pattern of election for Nigeria any day, because of the peaceful disposition of the electorate, the candidates, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.”
According to him, the compliance with movement restrictions was evident as residents turned major roads into football fields, further underscoring the calm atmosphere across the state.
“This election, from what we have observed so far, is one of the best in the history of Nigeria,” Nwambu concluded.