Governor Fubara’s full control of the Rivers State local government structure has sparked opposition from the APC. Discover the ongoing political developments.
The political crisis affecting Rivers State shows no signs of resolution at this time.
This situation arises as the local government election organized by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) seems to have sparked additional conflicts within the state.
It was reported that, despite resistance from supporters of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the election proceeded on Saturday as instructed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Loyalists of Wike within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had pledged to boycott the election, referencing a judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that RSIEC failed to comply with necessary provisions by neglecting to publish the required 90-day notice prior to setting the election date, as reported.
As a result, the court prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission from providing RSIEC with access to the voter register for conducting the election.
Justice Lifu also prohibited the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service (DSS) from offering security for the elections.
The ruling came after the state chapter of the APC filed a lawsuit challenging RSIEC’s decision to schedule the elections for October 5.
No reversal on the election decision.
Even though the court ruled that security agencies could not participate in the election, Governor Fubara maintained that it would proceed as planned.
His position caused a stir in the political arena last week, with some stakeholders criticizing the governor while others, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, expressed their support for him.
In the same way, RSIEC bypassed legal obstacles and declared its readiness to carry out the election, asserting that it had access to the voters’ register despite INEC’s contrary stance.
Violence disrupted local government elections.
In certain areas, the election was disrupted by actions attributed to armed individuals believed to be political thugs.
Chief Tony Okocha, the state caretaker committee chairman of the principal opposition party, accused supporters of Governor Fubara of orchestrating the heinous attack.
Likewise, although the activity proceeded peacefully in numerous locations, there was intense gunfire in the Rumuepirikom Community within Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, where the FCT Minister resides.
It was learned that some unidentified individuals had entered the community prior to the election and warned people not to go out.
As the electoral officers were approaching the ward in the LGA, armed individuals believed to be political thugs launched an invasion. The heavy gunfire they unleashed intimidated people and deterred them from participating in the election.
In a separate incident, two individuals suffered gunshot injuries in the Igwuruta community of Ikwerre LGA. This occurred during an attempt by some youths, reportedly supporters of Wike, to enforce a High Court judgment.
Governor Fubara restores the Local Government structure.
The purported attempt by Wike to dominate the political landscape of Rivers State following his eight-year tenure as governor has sparked an ongoing crisis in the region.
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Lawmakers in Rivers State who supported Wike extended the previous local government chairmen’s terms by six months to maintain their structure, but Fubara ultimately removed them.
On June 19, 2024, the governor subsequently nominated caretaker chairmen for all 23 local government areas of the state.
The nominees were quickly reviewed and approved by the state House of Assembly under the leadership of factional Speaker Victor Jumbo.
In anticipation of the election on Saturday, Governor Fubara instructed his supporters to run for office under the Action Peoples Party (APP) due to Wike’s significant influence within the PDP.
On Saturday night, Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, the Chief Election Officer for RSIEC, announced that APP secured the chairmanship positions in 22 out of 23 local government areas.
This clearly shows that Governor Fabara has reestablished control over the LG structure in anticipation of the upcoming elections.
The APC maintains that no election took place in Rivers.
However, on Saturday night, the APC dismissed both the election and its results, claiming that no election took place in the state.
Ikenga Chibike, the APC’s publicity secretary in Rivers State, informed OBASANJONEWS that the Federal High Court’s judgment remains valid. He characterized the recently concluded election as an illusion and described it as a “fabricated result.”
Regarding the APC in Rivers State, there was no election on Saturday. Therefore, any announcement being made is based on fabricated results.
He stated, “The law is still the law. It requires that for RSIEC to conduct a proper election, it must adhere to due process.”
He explained that the party chose to boycott the election in order to comply with a Federal High Court judgment. This ruling prohibited the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), along with organizations like the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from proceeding with the election.
“The court also declared all prior actions null and void. We support this judgment, which is why we did not participate,” he stated.
