The Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara will swear in the newly elected council chairmen today, Sunday, October 6, 2024, at 4 p.m., in the Executive Council Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
This was announced in a statement signed by Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Secretary to the State Government, dated October 6, 2024.
According to the announcement, the newly elected chairman, together with one visitor each, should be seated by 3:30 p.m.
Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, has proclaimed 22 Action Peoples Party chairmanship candidates as victors of the state’s local government elections on October 5, 2024.
He announced the results in Port Harcourt on Saturday, claiming that the candidates received a majority of legitimate votes cast in two-thirds of their respective wards in the 22 local governments.
Enebeli, who is also the Chief Electoral Commissioner for the election, explained that the commission rejected the chairmanship position for Etche LG due to its broad geography of 19 wards, which hampered the collation process.
The election, however, was marred by violence in places where suspected political thugs and men in police uniforms caused mayhem.
The incident, which occurred at Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City LGA, sent RSIEC personnel and voters fleeing for safety as 21 Hilux patrol vans carrying highly armed men drove into the polling site and promptly shot tear gas canisters.
In addition, two explosions were reported at the All Progressives Congress secretariat on Aba Road and the Obio/Akpor Local Government secretariat.
The state police headquarters stated that its units had responded quickly, inspecting the areas and collecting samples for inquiry.
Another remarkable incidence was the absence of RSIEC officials in Ward 9, Rumueprikom, Obio/Akpor LG of the state, which is the hometown of Nyesome Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
A voter, identified as Oluchi, stated, A voter, who gave her name as Oluchi, said, “Election did not hold in Rumuiprikom; that’s what we noticed. But in other places, they’re doing elections. We don’t even know what happened.”
A similar condition was witnessed in the NTA Road, Mgbuoba, and Ozuoba areas of Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State.
