The suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, was noticeably absent on Saturday during the local government elections in the state, raising further questions about his political future.
Fubara, who hails from Opobo Local Government Area, was expected to cast his vote, particularly after reconciling with his political benefactor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. However, despite assurances, he did not appear at his polling unit in Ward 5, Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, where electoral materials arrived around 11 a.m. Voting concluded at about 3:30 p.m. without his participation.
Political sources revealed that the embattled governor, who is due to be reinstated after the expiration of the emergency rule on September 18, had traveled to London and had not returned to the state before the election. okay.ng reports that his absence extended to his loyalists, who also stayed away from the exercise.
Prominent allies such as Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, Secretary to the State Government Dr. Tammy Danagogo, and the dismissed 23 council chairmen failed to show up. Members of the “Simplified Movement,” Fubara’s support base, also distanced themselves from the polls.
APC Emerges Dominant
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) cleared several parties for the election, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party, Social Democratic Party, and African Action Congress.
However, the PDP only presented three chairmanship candidates, while the APC fielded 20, a reflection of the balance of political power. Sources confirmed that the APC clinched 20 out of the 23 available chairmanship seats, leaving the PDP with three strategic areas: Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas.
Wike Foresees Fubara’s Return
Speaking after voting in Rumepirikom, Ward 9, Wike projected that Fubara would return to office once the emergency rule lapses.
“As far as we are concerned, this election is peaceful, people are trooping out, and at the end of the day, the election has been conducted successfully and peacefully. I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire and the state assembly will come back to their job,” Wike said.
He commended the peaceful conduct of voters but criticized the non-use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Legal and Civil Society Voices
Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.), the state’s sole administrator, praised the process, describing it as a “crucial step toward restoring grassroots democracy.” Meanwhile, legal expert Monday Ubani argued that Fubara, as an elected governor, must be reinstated to complete his mandate.
Ubani stated, “I believe Fubara should be restored to power because he was elected by the people so that he can now go and complete his mandate after this local government poll.”
