Fubara-backed APP wins 22 of 23 chairmanship seats in Rivers LG polls

The Action Peoples Party (APP) has won 22 of 23 chairmanship positions in Rivers local government elections.

Adolphus Enebeli, chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), announced the results of the elections on Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

Enebeli said the result of the remaining LGA — Etche — will be announced at a later date because collation was still ongoing.

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers, had recently directed his loyalists to defect to the APP to contest the election.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers had earlier cautioned against the declaration of the results.

Aaron Chukwuemeka, the Rivers PDP chairman, warned that announcing results could incite violence.

Victor Giadom, APC chairman in the south-south, said the party boycotted the election because of discrepancies with the existing laws.

THE CONTROVERSY

On September 4, a high court in the state held that RSIEC could conduct the LGA elections using the 2023 voter register.

But on September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC.

The court also barred the inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the exercise.

Despite the federal high court ruling and the withdrawal of security personnel, Fubara said the election must proceed as planned.