Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has officially sworn in 23 newly elected local government chairmen. The swearing-in ceremony, held on Sunday at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, followed elections conducted the previous day by the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
In attendance was Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who also chairs the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum. Governor Fubara expressed satisfaction with the successful completion of the local government elections, noting that it was only with divine support that the challenges leading up to the polls were overcome.
Governor Fubara extended his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, commending him for his democratic approach. He reassured Governor Mohammed of his continued loyalty to the PDP, despite making difficult decisions in what he described as a “desperate situation.” According to Fubara, the actions of his administration, backed by popular support, were necessary to preserve the local government councils. He emphasized that unlike his political opponents, he would not adopt confrontational tactics that could destabilize the state or its assets.
Fubara urged the newly elected chairmen to view themselves as public servants rather than rulers, emphasizing that the focus of their tenure should be on developing their local government areas and serving the people, who are the true foundation of political power.
Earlier in the day, RSIEC had issued certificates of return to the newly elected chairmen. The elections saw the Action People’s Party (APP) secure 22 of the 23 local government chairmanship seats in Rivers State. However, results for Etche Local Government Area were initially withheld due to ongoing collation.
RSIEC Chairman Adolphus Enebeli, who announced the results on Saturday, said that the winners of the 319 councillorship positions, as well as the Etche chairmanship seat, would be declared after the completion of collation.
By Sunday, RSIEC declared Uzodinma Nwafor of the Action Alliance (AA) as the winner for Etche Local Government Area. Enebeli described the election process as free, fair, and credible, highlighting a strong voter turnout with polls closing at 3 p.m.
Observers from various bodies, including the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), independent electoral bodies from other states, and the Nigerian Bar Association, were present during the polls. Enebeli noted that due to logistical challenges, the commission had to adopt a “bi-location” principle to ensure the smooth conduct of the election process.
