GOVERNOR Siminalayi Fubara has officially sworn in 23 newly elected local government chairmen in Rivers State.
The ceremony took place today at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, just one day after the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted local government elections.
Attending the event was Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who also serves as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.
The governor expressed his happiness with the successful local government elections, stating that divine assistance was crucial for overcoming the challenges faced in recent days.
He also extended his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his democratic approach.
While affirming his commitment to the PDP, Fubara noted that urgent situations call for urgent measures. He mentioned that his administration, with the backing of the people, aims to restore the local government councils.
He emphasized his intention to avoid confrontational tactics like those of his opponents, committed instead to safeguarding the state’s assets and maintaining public order.
He urged the newly elected chairmen to view themselves as public servants rather than rulers, highlighting the need for development in the local government areas and encouraging them to prioritize serving the constituents, who are the true foundation of political power.
Prior to the swearing-in, the RSIEC distributed certificates of return to the newly elected chairmen.
The elections, conducted in a tense atmosphere, resulted in the Action People’s Party (APP) winning 22 of the 23 chairmanship positions in the oil-rich state. However, the announcement of results for Etche Local Government Area was suspended due to ongoing collation.
RSIEC Chairman Adolphus Enebeli, who announced the results yesterday, stated that the outcomes for the 319 councillorship seats would be revealed concurrently with the Etche chairmanship results once the collations were finalized.
The day after the elections, RSIEC declared Uzodinma Nwafor of the Action Alliance (AA) the winner in Etche Local Government Area.
Enebeli described the elections as free, fair, and credible amid challenges, noting that polling ended at 3 pm with a high voter turnout.
He commended the dedication of residents who participated in the voting process.
The results declaration were observed by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), chairpersons of independent electoral bodies from various states, and representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association who served as election monitors.
He explained that the commission “adopted the principle of bi-location due to the circumstances” they encountered.