‘Does It Mean Fubara Will Not Return’ – Tonye Cole Questions Rivers LG Election

Sunnex Egbu

5 hours ago

Former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has raised concerns over the decision to hold local government elections on August 30, while the state is still under the control of a presidentially appointed sole administrator.

Naijaonpoint reports that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had fixed the date in July, despite the apex court’s earlier nullification of the October 5, 2024, LG polls conducted under Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Supreme Court, in February, ruled that the election was invalid because the conditions set out in Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act were not met before the RSIEC went ahead with the polls.

Following a political crisis in March, President Bola Tinubu suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, and the legislative arm for a period of six months, appointing Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator for the state during that time.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Cole noted that the six-month tenure of the sole administrator ends in September, questioning the rationale behind rushing the LG polls before then.

“The term of the sole administrator, which is six months, is coming to an end. By next month, it will be done,” he said.

Cole argued that it would be more legitimate to wait for the return of an elected government before holding the elections.

He further stated, “What I would advise is that, allow that time to elapse because, in the first instance, you have made peace between Governor Siminalayi and the protagonist, Nyesom Wike. So, there is peace there, and that’s where all the crisis was coming from.

“If that peace is real, then the state governor would be returning to office soon, allowing elections to be conducted under a legitimate government.”

Cole further suggested that the August 30 date might be a strategic move to either extend the sole administrator’s tenure or undermine Governor Fubara’s return.

“This rush puts everyone in an uncomfortable position. Does it mean Governor Fubara will not return? Is there an extension planned? Or is there a lack of trust in him? Something is wrong, and I don’t trust this process,” he added.