Fubara floors Wike in Rivers LG poll as APP wins 22 of 23 chairmanship seats
Wike and Fubara had their eyes cast on controlling the state and have taken drastic measures to ensure that they hold the keys to the state.
Formerly Rivers Governor, Wike now serves Minister of the Federal Capital Territory but has shown that he still has personal interests in the political affairs of the state.
Wike was instrumental in Fubara’s Governorship victory, but their relationship has turned sour, becoming an inpending war by the day.
Originally a PDP member, Wike now serving as FCT Minister under an APC led govt supported the All Progressives Congress in the LG election.
While Fubara who is serving as Governor under PDP told his loyalists to decamp to APP and threw his weight around them.
Tension brewing in Rivers has resulted in a surprising turn of events, which includes both men supporting other parties over theirs as they have both lost control over Rivers PDP.
Adolphus Enebeli, the Chief Election Officer of the state Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) expressed that the election was free, fair, and credible, despite all odds.
According to him, despite lack of federal security forces on ground, a large turnout of voters was recorded and the polls were closed at 3 pm.
The declaration of the results was observed by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, chairmen of state independent electoral bodies across the country, and members of the Nigerian Bar Association who acted as observers in the polls. He said the commission “adopted the principle of bi-location because of the exigencies” they found themselves.
The state electoral umpire did not declare of results for Etche Local Government Area because the collation was ongoing.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers have advised against declaring the results of the LG elections.
APC’s Tony Okocha said “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 of the judgment,” Okocha said.“We caution against any announcement or any attempt to announce fictitious individuals as elected chairmen in the local government area.
“Doing so is a clear-cut recipe for chaos and unrest. The governor’s attempts to enthrone his proteges into the councils will not work”.
We want to caution that any attempt to announce any result whatsoever will be an invitation to violence and will be properly resisted as no election held in the Rivers state on the 5th of October 2024 as ordered by the courts”.
Rivers PDP chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka meanwhile said announcement of the results could incite violence.
He said “We can’t support or promote lawlessness or impunity in any form whatsoever, even though we are the ruling party in Rivers state.”“The proper court judgments must be obeyed as we cannot choose or pick which order of court to obey or not to obey.
