…PDP, APC warn Rivers electoral commission against declaring results of LG polls
The Action Peoples Party, APP, has been declared winner in 22 of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State in the just-concluded local government election held on Saturday.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, declared the 22 chairmanship candidates of APP as the winners after conclusion of collation.
Chairman of the Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), declared the results at the RSIEC office in Port Harcourt.
Enebeli clarified that the result of Etche Local Government Area and the 319 councillorship positions would be announced upon conclusion of collation.
The RSIEC chairman said the election held at 6,866 units of the state and that 18 political parties participated in the process.
He commended political parties and Rivers people for their commitment to the election.
Enebeli described the process as smooth, safe, free, fair, credible, and transparent.
He stressed that the process was successful.
He said it was violent free, and the most treasured council polls conducted in the state despite all odds.
The winners
The winners are Vincent Reuben Obu – Abua/Odual, Chibudom Ezu – Ahoada-East, Mr Iyekor Ikporo – Ahoada-West, Mrs. Tonye Oniyide – Akuku-Toru, Lazarus Gogote Nteogwuile – Andoni.
Others are Dr. Sule Amachree – Asari-Toru, Dame Anengi Barasua – Bonny, Dr. Harry Agiriye – Degema, Chief Brain Gokpa – Eleme, David Omereji – Emohua.
Also, Monday Dumiye – Gokana, Israel Abosi – Ikwerre, Martins Nwigbo – Khana, Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo – Obio/Akpor, Prince Isaac Umejuru – Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Ishmael Oforibika – Ogu/Bolo, Dr. Igwe Achese – Okrika, Promise Reginald – Omuma, won.
The rest are Enyiada Cookey-Gam – Opobo/Nkoro, Gift Okere – Oyigbo, Ezebunwo Ichemati – Port Harcourt, and Matthew Nenubari Dike – Tai.
The declaration of the results was observed by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), chairmen of the state’s independent electoral bodies across the country, and members of the Nigerian Bar Association who acted as observers in the polls.
He said the commission “adopted the principle of bi-location because of the exigencies” they found themselves.
Explosions, Protests, Gunshots
On election day, two explosions rocked the state. Police authorities confirmed that one of the incidents happened earlier on Saturday.
“The first explosion was reported at the APC Secretariat on Aba Road at approximately 3:00 am. A security guard reported hearing a loud bang and, upon investigation, observed three black Toyota Hilux vans speeding away from the scene,” the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command Grace Iringe-Koko said, adding that the incidents are being investigated.
“The explosion caused significant damage, destroying the gate and shattering the windows of the building. Additionally, the security building was set ablaze. The second explosion occurred at the Obio/Akpor Council secretariat around 3:30 am. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a black Toyota Hilux van and a white Toyota Sienna minivan drive past the secretariat.”
Gunshots were equally reported in some parts of Port Harcourt, the state capital. Some unidentified persons who rode in a black Toyota Corolla were spotted firing gunshots around the Wimpy area of the state which is a stone’s throw from the home of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier in the week protested against the conduct of the election and had stormed the Department of State Security office and the Government House both in Port Harcourt to register their demand.
Drama, Twists, Intrigues
Saturday’s declaration of results brings to an end a pulsating run to the local government election in the oil-rich state.
The election followed the Federal Government’s three-month grace for states to conduct local government polls.
Ahead of the exercise, police authorities had said they would not provide security for the election, citing a court order. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also barred by a court order from presenting the voter register to RSIEC.
That move created ripples in the state, leading to a heightened atmosphere days before the election.
Undeterred, Governor Siminalayi Fubara vowed that the poll would hold and stormed the RSIEC office around 1:00 am on Friday, alleging that police operatives in the state want to thwart the exercise.
‘We Are Prepared’
“We are prepared, we are prepared,” the governor said as he called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to take responsibility for any disruptions.
But the police said their officers were at the RSIEC office to secure the facility.
“Conversely, in reaction to credible and actionable intelligence received about plans by hoodlums to carry out an arson attack on the RSIEC office, Police personnel were deployed to secure the premises,” the Rivers State Police Command said.
“The Rivers State Police Command remain committed to our duty to maintain the peace and ask residents of Rivers State to act within the confines of the law. The Police will do everything to maintain law and order.”
Some of the top parties in the state including Fubara’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not participate in the election.
“You know this election, I am the greatest loser because my party is not participating. It is the truth!” the governor said.
On the eve of the election, the PDP at the national level, however, called on residents of the state to come out for the poll and exercise their franchise.
PDP, APC warn Rivers electoral commission against declaring results of LG polls
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers have cautioned against the declaration of results in the state’s local government elections.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Aaron Chukwuemeka, the Rivers PDP chairman, warned that announcing results could incite violence.
“We can’t support or promote lawlessness or impunity in any form whatsoever, even though we are the ruling party in Rivers state,” he said.
“The proper court judgments must be obeyed as we cannot choose or pick which order of court to obey or not to obey.
“We want to caution that any attempt to announce any result whatsoever will be an invitation to violence and will be properly resisted as no election held in the Rivers state on the 5th of October 2024 as ordered by the courts.”
In a separate press conference, Victor Giadom, APC chairman in the south-south, said the party boycotted the election because of discrepancies with the existing laws.
“The entire process of the local government election in Rivers state is in conflict with the laws of the land —If the process is done according to law, my party will participate in the election,” he said.
On his part, Tony Okocha, ex-chairman of the APC caretaker committee in Rivers, also warned that declaring “fictitious” results would ignite unrest.
“We are amused that even after the receipt of the judgment, Governor Siminalayi Fubara broke into the gates of RSIEC and chased away police officers deployed in RSIEC to ensure compliance of the judgment,” Okocha said.
“We caution against any announcement or any attempt to announce fictitious individuals as elected chairmen in the local government area.
“Doing so is a clear-cut recipe for chaos and unrest. The governor’s attempts to enthrone his proteges into the councils will not work.”
BACKGROUND
There has been palpable tension in Rivers due to the prolonged turf war between Siminalayi Fubara, the governor, and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
On September 4, a high court in the state held that Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) could conduct the LGA elections using the 2023 voter register.
But on September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.
The court also barred the inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the exercise.
On October 2, INEC said it had not released the voter register in deference to the judgment of the federal high court.
A day later, a crowd besieged the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital, to protest against the planned election.
However, Fubara vowed to proceed with the election.
On Friday, the governor visited the RSIEC office in Port Harcourt over a claim that police officers were planning to stop the election.
Police operatives had barricaded the facility where electoral materials are kept.
Fubara said the presence of police officers at the RSIEC premises was unnecessary, accusing Kayode Egbetokun, inspector general of police (IGP), of taking orders from Wike to truncate the election.
Reacting to Fubara’s comments, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said its actions conformed with the judgment of the federal high court.
The LGA elections took place in parts of the state on Saturday despite the pull-out of security operatives.
