By Abubakar Yunusa
The Rivers State Government will swear in the 23 chairmen declared winners of Saturday’s Local Government Council elections this afternoon (Sunday).
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) announced that the Action Peoples Party (APP) won all 23 local government area chairmanship seats in the election.
The State Government also confirmed that the election has concluded, and it will swear in the winners today.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Wenike Danagogo, it was announced that the chairmen would be sworn in at 4 pm.
The statement read: “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, the Governor of Rivers State, will today, Sunday, October 6, 2024, swear in the newly elected Council Chairmen at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Port Harcourt, by 4pm.
The newly elected Chairmen, along with one (1) guest each, are expected to be seated by 3:30 pm.”
Background
Recall the elections took place, yesterday, amid gunshots, bomb explosions and protests in some parts of the state.
The development, which did not fall short of pre-election predictions, left many residents worried, especially as a result of minimal presence of the police across all polling areas.
NATION Post observed that irrespective of widespread fears of violence across 23 Local Government Areas, LGAs in Rivers, the turnout appeared substantial. In many areas monitored, the exercise kicked off early without the presence of the police following the supply of sensitive and non-sensitive materials by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission,RSIEC.
The police had earlier said they were not providing security for the polls given a court order restraining them and other security agencies from providing security during the poll. A Federal High Court in Abuja had prevented the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from releasing the 2023 voter register to RSIEC. It also stopped the Inspector-General of Police and Department of State Services, DSS, from providing security for the exercise.
The matter pitched the camp of Governor Siminalyi Fubara and Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, against each other, thereby heightening tension in the state. However, RSIEC said it had received a copy of the voter register from INEC since last year.
Earlier, Wike’s supporters staged a protest in Port Harcourt, kicking against the election.