The Triumph of the People’s Will: Rivers LGA Election Holds Amid Challenges, APP Secures Landslide Victory

In a show of the triumph of the power of the people, voters in Rivers State braved the withdrawal of state security forces and a controversial court ruling to elect new local government officials for the next four years.

The elections, held on Saturday, October 5, 2024, have been hailed as a victory for democracy. Residents exercised their right to vote in the face of reactionary forces that tried to thwart the democratic process.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) successfully conducted the elections, announcing this evening that the Action People’s Party (APP) secured a sweeping victory, winning 22 out of 23 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmanship positions.

The only outstanding result, from Etche LGA, is still being collated at the time of this report, with the RSIEC indicating that the final results, including the 319 council seats, will be declared as soon as Etche collation is complete.

RSIEC Declares Elections Credible

Justice Adolphus Enebeli, Chairman of RSIEC, made the official declaration at the Ministry of Justice Hall in the Rivers State Secretariat Complex. He characterized the elections as free and fair despite numerous obstacles. He commended voters for their high turnout, patriotic zeal, and resilience, noting that polling stations closed promptly at 3 PM.

Justice Enebeli further explained that the commission adopted “bi-location” principles to manage the logistical challenges faced during the election.

The announcement of results was attended by election observers, including the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Chairpersons of State Independent Electoral Commissions, and representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association, all of whom monitored the electoral process.

Reactions and Tensions

A factional wing of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, a faction reportedly loyal to Gov Fubara praised RSIEC for its conduct of the elections but condemned an explosion that occurred earlier in the day at a factional APC secretariat in Port Harcourt, calling it a “barbaric” act.

Chief Emeka Beke, Chairman of the faction, said he was pleased with the electoral process, and that the absence of security personnel did not hinder the smooth conduct of the elections. He said voters conducted themselves peacefully and the turnout was impressive.

Beke distanced himself and his party from the violence at the factional secretariat, condemning the incident as an act of sabotage unrelated to his faction. “I condemn the burning of the office,” he stated. “It is not in my character, and I will never be a part of such behavior.”

Election Day Downside

However, not all polling centers had a smooth process. Reports emerged of a disruption at the Ward 19 collation center in Port Harcourt City LGA, where ironically police officers, with the constitutional mandate of supporting the democratic order, allegedly fired teargas and gunshots to disperse a crowd of voters.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes with ballot papers strewn across the entrance of the center. Voters claimed the disturbance began after voting had concluded and ballots were being counted.

The Rivers State Police Command is yet to comment on this allegation.

Power Dynamics Resolved

Meanwhile, the complex political dynamics in Rivers State continue to unfold, with the impasse between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, coming to a head.

The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) appears split between the two leaders, as each faction of the party contends for control of the state’s political machinery.

It has been suggested that the APP winners are in fact Gov. Fubara’s loyalists. If this is true, then with APP’s massive victory at this grassroots level of government, the alleged power struggle between Gov. Fubara and his predecessor Minister Wike, has been resolved democratically in favor of constitutional order.

As the elections conclude, it is hoped that all parties will shift focus towards governance and work together to deliver the much-needed dividends of democracy for the people of Rivers State.

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