The political crisis in Rivers State intensifies as Wike’s faction prepares for a court battle, challenging Governor Fubara’s swearing-in of local government chairmen. Get the full story.
On Sunday, the factions of Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress dismissed both the conduct and results of the local government election. They asserted that no election took place in the state on Saturday.
The Rivers PDP, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, dismissed the poll as a futile exercise and pledged to contest it in court.
The Wike camp made this statement during the swearing-in ceremony conducted by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for the newly elected council chairmen of the state’s 23 local government areas.
The event took place on Sunday at the Executive Council Chamber of Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital. This occurred just hours after Adolphus Enebeli, Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, presented certificates of return to the chairmen.
The Action Peoples Party emerged victorious in the Saturday council election, despite disruptions from explosions and gunfire. They secured 22 of the 23 chairmanship positions, while one seat was claimed by a candidate from the Action Alliance.
The APP secured 314 of the 319 councilor positions across the 23 local government areas in the state.
The ongoing power struggle between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, made the exercise more complex.
After losing control of the PDP to Wike, Fubara’s supporters transitioned to the APP and gained chairmanship positions in their local government areas.
PDP contests election results.
Just hours after the election winners were inaugurated, Kenneth Yowika, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, announced that the party would contest how the poll was conducted in court.
“We are continuing to pursue legal action to ensure justice is not only served but also apparent. Therefore, we neither agree with nor acknowledge any swearing-in occurring today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday),” he declared.
Yowika stated that from the outset, the ruling party in the state maintained that holding the council poll was illegal, as it went against a Federal High Court judgment prohibiting such an action.
Yowika stated, “To begin with, everything related to that matter is illegal. We have made it clear that elections should not proceed in light of the Federal High Court judgment issued by Justice Peter Lifu.”
Prior to this, I mentioned that any action concerning the local government issue would be pointless. If we claim to uphold the rule of law as a nation, then we shouldn’t engage in activities that violate legal principles.
The law required actions consistent with the Federal High Court’s judgment, but the current government has not complied.
“As a law-abiding party, we are committed to non-violence and will not engage in physical confrontations. We held a protest yesterday (Saturday) to clearly demonstrate that no election took place.”
We remain firm in our decision that no election took place and we await action from the judiciary and other governmental bodies to clarify matters. We continue to maintain that there was no election.
He continued by saying, “We visited the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission yesterday, and it was evident to everyone that no election took place. Therefore, we support the Federal High Court’s ruling stating that the election should not proceed.”
“They proceeded with the charade that everyone witnessed, which is unacceptable to the Peoples Democratic Party. As we have stated, we are a law-abiding party and intend to remain so.”
In a similar vein, Chibuike Ikenga, the Publicity Secretary for the APC led by Chief Tony Okocha, emphasized adherence to the Federal High Court’s ruling that prohibited the state government from holding elections.
Ikenga mentioned that the swearing-in of the election winners “is neither here nor there,” emphasizing that the party is continuing to pursue legal action.
As a party, we are committed to adhering to the rulings of the Federal High Court under Justice Peter Lifu. This is why we did not recognize any election as having occurred. However, since the government has a history of disregarding court orders and proceeded regardless, they act independently in this matter.
Our stance is that you cannot build on a foundation of nothing and expect stability. Therefore, whether someone has been sworn in or not is irrelevant to us; we are neither aware nor concerned if it occurs today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday).
“We are continuing to pursue legal action to ensure justice is both served and perceived as such. Therefore, we do not agree with or acknowledge any swearing-in ceremonies happening today or tomorrow,” he said.
When questioned about whether the party will approach the court again given recent developments, he responded, “The state government has already taken the case to the Court of Appeal where they requested a stay, but it was denied. Therefore, the matter is currently ongoing at the Court of Appeal.”
Nevertheless, the faction of the APC supporting former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi expressed satisfaction with the election results and stated it would not challenge them.
Chizi Enyi, serving as the Chief of Staff to APC Chairman Emeka Beke, stated that the party did not suffer a loss since it secured a councillor position.
“The APC secured the council position, and we are pleased with how the election was conducted. Our main concern had been those opposing its occurrence. Therefore, we accept the results and will not pursue any legal action,” he stated.
READ ALSO: Rivers State Police Command Distances Itself from LG Polls – Official Statement
Sydney Gbara, the Rivers State Commissioner for Environment and former Publicity Secretary of the PDP, also voiced his satisfaction with the election, calling it the most free and fair in the history of the state.
Gbara expressed his satisfaction, stating that this was the freest, fairest, and most peaceful election conducted in Rivers State to date. He noted that it was remarkable how there was no police security presence yet everything remained peaceful, which he found particularly interesting about the election.
“This election saw unparalleled participation from the people of Rivers, as they recognized its crucial impact on their future.”
When asked why he was excited despite his party not securing any position, he explained that the state’s interests are paramount.
Gbara expressed his disappointment in his party’s withdrawal from the contest, emphasizing that as a native of Rivers, the state’s interests must take precedence over any personal or group agendas.
“In my view, it represents a liberating moment for the people of Rivers and marks a long-awaited day.”
Speaking to the election winners, Fubara stated that the state has embarked on a transformative era in which democracy will flourish and residents will experience democratic benefits that align with their aspirations.
He expressed immense pleasure in recognizing the support of the people of Rivers in their efforts to reclaim and improve the local government system. He noted that it was on the brink of collapse due to certain disruptive political forces attempting to seize control.
He mentioned that the pressure to dismantle the LG system in Rivers State escalated significantly three days prior to Election Day, coinciding with an attempt to breach the RSIEC Headquarters.
The governor stated, “Nonetheless, the reality is that dire situations demand drastic actions. We were faced with a scenario where the local governments in this state were on a path to disaster.”
The reality is, due to our genuine love for this state, we needed to rescue the local government election. With the support of Riverside residents, we successfully did so and revitalized the local government council. Thankfully, that task has been completed.
Fubara stated that now the elections have concluded, his administration will refrain from taking any undemocratic actions to confront or oppose anyone.
Instead, he vowed to use peaceful methods to safeguard the state’s assets.
He stated, “We will assure the Federal Government that we are not going to be involved in anything that could lead to a breakdown of law and order in this state. We understand very well that if such chaos occurs here, it would negatively impact Nigeria as a whole, and we refuse to contribute to it. This is why our standards for maturity remain high.”
The governor reprimands the chairmen.
Fubara urged the new chairmen to maintain a strong connection with the residents in their council areas.
He encouraged them to follow his peaceful approach by practicing patience with others and resolving every situation harmoniously.
He stated, “To the newly appointed chairmen, I urge you to view yourselves as servants. Viewing yourself as an emperor marks the beginning of problems. Believing you know everything due to your access to funds will lead to crisis.”
“View this opportunity as a call to service. It is your chance to unite the people and deliver progress for Rivers State. Development across all 23 local government areas is essential.”
The governor noted that his administration had delivered key infrastructure and other advancements, but acknowledged that further efforts were necessary.
