There is currently no end in sight to the political crisis rocking Rivers State.
This is as the local government election conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, has apparently triggered more crises in the state.
DAILY POST reports that despite opposition from the loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the election was conducted on Saturday as directed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike’s loyalists in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and a faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had vowed to boycott the election, citing a judgement by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
DAILY POST reports that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had in a judgement declared that RSIEC violated requisite provisions by not publishing the mandatory 90 days notice before fixing the date for the election.
The court, therefore, barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election.
Justice Lifu also barred the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service, DSS, from providing security for the polls.
The judgment followed the suit brought before the judge by the state chapter of APC, faulting RSIEC’s move to fix October 5 for the polls.
No going back on election
Despite the court judgement barring the security agencies from participating in the election, Governor Fubara insisted that the election would go on as scheduled.
His stance stirred up the political space last week as some stakeholders lashed out at the governor, while others, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar threw their weights behind him.
Similarly, RSIEC ignored the legal hurdles and said it was ready to conduct the election, claiming to have access to the voters’ register, contrary to INEC’s position.
Thuggery marred LG polls
The election in some places were marred by the activities of some armed men suspected to be political thugs.
DAILY POST recalls that a few hours before the election kicked off, suspected arsonists detonated explosives at the APC secretariat in Port Harcourt, destroying parts of the facility.
The state caretaker committee chairman of the main opposition party, Chief Tony Okocha accused Governor Fubara’s supporters of carrying out the heinous attack.
Similarly, while the exercise was going on peacefully in many places, there were heavy gunshots in the Rumuepirikom Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, the home of the FCT Minister.
DAILY POST gathered that some unidentified persons had gained their ways into the community ahead of the election and announced that people should not come out.
However, when the electoral officers were about to arrive at the ward in the LGA, armed men suspected to be political thugs invaded the place with heavy gunfire scaring people from coming out to participate in the election.
In another development, two people sustained bullet wounds at Igwuruta community, Ikwerre LGA of the state following a move by some youths alleged to be loyalists of Wike to enforce the High Court Judgement.
Governor Fubara regains Local Government structure
Alleged move by Wike to control the political structure of Rivers State after his eight years tenure as governor of the state birthed the unending crisis rocking the state.
The Rivers State lawmakers loyal to Wike had extended the tenure of the previous LG Chairmen by six months in a bid to retain the structure but they were removed by Fubara.
Subsequently, the governor on June 19, 2024, nominated caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state.
The nominees were speedily screened and confirmed by the state House of Assembly led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo.
Ahead of the Saturday election, Governor Fubara directed his loyalists to contest the polls under the platform of the Action Peoples Party, APP, following Wike’s strong influence in the PDP.
Announcing the outcome of the election on Saturday night, Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, Chief Election Officer of the RSIEC declared that APP won the chairmanship positions in 22 out of the 23 LGAs.
This clearly indicated that Governor Fabara has regained control of the LG structure ahead of next elections.
No election was held in Rivers – APC insists
However, the APC on Saturday night rubbished the election and its outcome, insisting that there was no election held in the state.
The APC publicity secretary in Rivers State, Ikenga Chibike told DAILY POST that the judgment of the Federal High Court stands, describing the just concluded election as a mirage, saying it was a “cooked-up result”.
“As far as APC is concerned in Rivers State, there was no election on Saturday, so if anybody is announcing anything, it is a cooked up result.
“The law remains the law. It says that if RSIEC must conduct a proper election, it must follow the due process,” he declared.
He said the party decided to boycott the election to “obey the judgement from the Federal High Court which barred the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from going ahead with the election.
“The court had also declared that every action taken prior to this time is null and void. We are standing with that judgement so we did not participate,” he stated.