The Rivers State Government is set to swear in 23 chairmen who emerged victorious in the Local Government Council elections held on Saturday. The event is scheduled for this afternoon at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt.
ELECTION RESULTS
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) announced that the Action Peoples Party (APP) won all 23 local government area chairmanship seats in the elections. The state government confirmed the conclusion of the elections, stating that the swearing-in ceremony would take place at 4 pm today.
A statement signed by Dr. Tammy Wenike Danagogo, Secretary to the State Government, highlighted that the newly elected chairmen and one guest each are expected to be seated by 3:30 pm.
BACKGROUND OF THE ELECTIONS
The elections occurred amid significant unrest, including gunshots, bomb explosions, and protests in various parts of the state. These developments aligned with pre-election predictions, raising concerns among residents due to the minimal police presence at polling areas.
Reports indicate that despite fears of violence across the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs), voter turnout was substantial. Observations from Sunday Vanguard showed that the voting process commenced early in many areas, although there was a notable absence of police during the exercise.
SECURITY CONCERNS
The police had previously announced they would not provide security for the elections due to a court order that barred them and other security agencies from doing so. A Federal High Court in Abuja had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to RSIEC and prevented the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from securing the polls.
This situation has heightened tensions between the camp of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Meanwhile, Wike’s supporters held protests in Port Harcourt against the elections.