The recent local government elections in Rivers State have reignited political tensions, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar dismissing the process as a “travesty” and accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of undermining democratic values.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) announced the results of the August 30 polls on Sunday, declaring APC victorious in 20 out of the 23 local government areas, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured three. Among the councils taken by the APC were Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni—territories seen as strategic strongholds in the oil-rich state.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara, a former ally of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, lost his Opobo-Nkoro local government to the APC. Political observers noted that many of the winners across both parties are loyalists of Wike, underscoring his enduring influence at the grassroots level.
In his reaction, Atiku blasted the administration of President Bola Tinubu for allegedly manipulating the process. He stated:
“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 to achieve an inordinate political advantage.”
The former vice president urged Nigerians, the international community, and democratic institutions to scrutinize what he described as a “dangerous curve” in the country’s governance. He also encouraged opposition parties in Rivers to reject the outcome, arguing that the elections 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 declared.
Atiku concluded by standing with Rivers residents, stating that they had become “victims of political brigandry” orchestrated by a power cabal determined to overturn their rights.
Observers say the results have deepened the rivalry between Governor Fubara and his predecessor Wike, whose long-running feud has destabilized the political landscape. okay.ng reports that the crisis traces back to disagreements in the state assembly and subsequent interventions by President Tinubu, including the controversial declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.
RSIEC Chairman Dr. Michael Odey, however, defended the elections, praising voters, security agencies, and civil society for what he described as a peaceful and credible process. Odey highlighted that while all elected chairmen were male, all vice-chairmen were female—continuing a gender-balance policy initiated by Wike during his governorship.
Despite Odey’s assurances, prominent figures like High Chief Sunnie Chukumele, convener of the Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought, dismissed the elections as “illegal and short-lived,” citing a Supreme Court ruling that had earlier nullified RSIEC’s operations for failing to comply with statutory guidelines.
With political tempers running high, analysts believe the fallout from the polls will further test the fragile balance of power in Rivers State and beyond.
