Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has regained control of the Local Government structure as his loyalists who contested elections under the Action Peoples Party (APP) have won all but one of the 23 chairmanship positions.
Chief Election Officer of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, declared the result in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Saturday night.
Wike had temporarily taken control of the local government structure after his loyalists emerged as winners of the disputed People’s Democratic Party (PDP) congress which was held last month.
However, not giving up the battle, Fubara directed his loyalists to defect to APP to contest the election.
Realising the influence of state government on LG elections and their outcome, Wike’s men had pulled out of the exercise, which was challenged in court, but Fubara vowed to go ahead.
The election was held amid rancour and pockets of violence following the withdrawal of the police to provide security.
Enebili said the announcement of Etche, the only Local Government Area where the chairmanship result has not been declared, would be made later.
Meanwhile, the PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers have cautioned against the declaration of results of the LG elections.
At a separate press conference on Saturday, Victor Giadom, APC chairman in the South-South, said the party boycotted the election because of discrepancies with the existing laws.
“The entire process of the local government election in Rivers state conflicts with the laws of the land —If the process is done according to law, my party will participate in the election,” he said.
Tony Okocha, former Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in Rivers, also warned against declaring the results.
“We are amused that even after the receipt of the judgment, Governor Siminalayi Fubara broke into the gates of RSIEC and chased away police officers deployed in RSIEC to ensure compliance with the judgment,” Okocha said.
