Opposition party clear Rivers Local government elections for di first time since 1999

Di Action Peoples Party (APP) don win 22 chairmanship positions out of di 23 councils for di Rivers State local government election.

Na di chief election officer of di Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli rtd make di declaration on Saturday for Port Harcourt.

Dis na di first time opposition party go win council election for di state since 1999 - bifor now na di ruling party for di state dey win am,

Oga Enebili say na only result from Etche LGA dem neva announce becos collation of result still dey go on.

Enebeli clarify say di commission go announce di result of Etche Local Government Area and di 319 councillorship positions wen collation end.

E tell tori pipo say election hold for 6,866 units of di state and say na 18 political parties participate.

“Di process dey smooth, safe, free, fair, credible, and transparent. Di process also dey successful,” e tok.

Oga Enebeli declare Vincent Reuben Obu – Abua/Odual, Chibudom Ezu – Ahoada-East, Mr Iyekor Ikporo – Ahoada-West, Mrs Tonye Oniyide – Akuku-Toru, Lazarus Gogote Nteogwuile – Andoni as winners of di election.

E also mention Dr Sule Amachree – Asari-Toru, Dame Anengi Barasua – Bonny, Dr Harry Agiriye – Degema, Chief Brain Gokpa – Eleme, and David Omereji – Emohua.

Oga Monday Dumiye – Gokana, Israel Abosi – Ikwerre, Martins Nwigbo – Khana, Chijioke Ihunwo – Obio/Akpor, Prince Isaac Umejuru – Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, Ishmael Oforibika – Ogu/Bolo, Dr Igwe Achese – Okrika, Promise Reginald – Omuma, also win.

Di rest na Enyiada Cookey-Gam – Opobo/Nkoro, Gift Okere – Oyigbo, Ezebunwo Ichemati – Port Harcourt, and Matthew Nenubari Dike – Tai.

Di election for Rivers state hold afta Federal goment three-month ultimatum for states to conduct local polls.

Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) don conduct of local goment election for di 23 local goment areas of di State.

Election hold for 319 wards and 6366 polling units of di state.

Rivers state for Southern Nigeria get over three million registered voters as at 2023, according to di Independent National Electoral Commission, (Inec) - na di voters register RSIEC say dem dey use for di election.

18 out of 19 registered political parties for Nigeria participate for di election. Di only party wey no involve na di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wey be di ruling party for di State.

Bifor dis time, na di ruling party dey always win di local goment elections for di State but dis time opposition party APP don clear di results.

Why dis local goment election dey important?

Di conduct of di local goment election dey in line wit di ruling of di Supreme Court wey insist on democratically elected local goment system for di kontri.

“Following Mr President intervention, di period for compliance with di Supreme Court’s judgment bin dey graciously extended by three months, wey go expire on 15 October 2024." Govnor Fubara tok for di state broadcast e do on Wednesday.

E add say na "On di strength of dis positive developments, I direct di Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to take definite steps to conduct local goment elections for di 23 local goment Councils of Rivers State.”

Di govnor say e go be clear disobedience of di Supreme Court mandatory order if im no allow di election to hold.

Why PDP no dey participate for di LG polls

PDP wey be di ruling party for Rivers State and a faction of di leading opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) bin threaten to stop di local goment elections.

State chairman of PDP, Aaron Chukwuemeka, afta a peaceful protest for DSS office and Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt on Thursday say di party no go fold hand dey look as RSIEC go conduct di election on Saturday.

E say dia protest na to remind di two agencies of a court judgement wey restrain RSIEC from conducting di local goment election as well as di security agencies from participating in di election.

“We, as a party wey believe in di rule of law don decide to take di letter to di police and DSS to tell dem say we no go watch dem conduct dat election on dat very day. We believe in di rule of law and we want evribodi to comply wit am.”

Di confusing court orders

Di council polls also attract attention of di judiciary. Since di Fubara-Wike fight start, different pipo especially supporters of di political leaders file many cases for different courts for Nigeria.

Most of di cases wey dem file na for Federal High court for Abuja and Rivers state high court for Port Harcourt. Some of di cases dey appeal court - even Supreme court don deliver judgement on top anoda mata.

However, different parties also go court ahead of dis council election.

On 6 Septermber 2024, Justice I.P.C Igwe of di State High court order RSIEC to go ahead wit di election as dem don plan am.

Di court say di council polls dey in line wit Nigeria Constitution and make all di pipo wey dey involved make sure say e happun.

Na on Tuesday anoda order come out from Justice Peter Lifu wey say make di election no hold based on application by group wey say dem dey represent All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Lifu of di Federal High court Abuja say "RSIEC don fail to comply wit key provisions of di electoral law, including di requirement to publish a 90-day notice before setting an election date."

"Make di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) no release di certified voters’ register until RSIEC don meet all legal conditions and prohibit RSIEC from accepting or using any register provided by INEC for di election."

Di judge also bar di Inspector General of Police and di State Security Service (SSS) from providing security for di elections.

INEC, RSIEC voters register argument

In response to tori say RSIEC dey go ahead wit di election and say dem go use Inec voters register, di federal election body say no be dem give RSIEC di list wey dem wan use for di 5 October local government elections.

Rivers state Resident Electoral Commissioner of Inec, Johnson Alalibo say im dey follow di Federal High Court order from Abuja, wey restrain di commission from releasing di voters register.

Alalibo explain say while RSIEC bin don make a formal request for di voters register, di process neva complete bifor di court order come.

Alalibo add say di voters register currently dey under in di custody of INEC ICT department of di commission.

But RSIEC drag Inec say dem dey lie about di state of di voters register.

Di state commission chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli rtd, say di recent judgement of di Supreme Court mandate democratically elected local goment councils across all states to do election, and Rivers State no be exception.

“Dis decision not only be a constitutional requirement but also na necessary step to ensure say di pipo voices dey heard."

"We go conduct di elections in full compliance wit di RSIEC Law, wey tok say Inec must provide di voters’ register to RSIEC," e tok.

Oda key tins wey don happun ahead of di Rivers LG polls

Police say dem no go provide security for di Rivers LG election

Rivers State Police Command say dem no go provide security for di local goment election.

For statement wey Police tok tok pesin SP Grace Iringe-Koko sign say by di advise by di Force Legal Department, dem dey abide by di restraining order by a federal high court for Abuja wey prevent di Nigerian Police Force and oda security agencies from providing security during di election.

Governor Fubara chase alleged 'rogue policemen' from RSIEC office

Early morning of Friday govnor Fubara pursue pipo wey e describe as "rogue policemen" wey allegedly bin wan take over di RSIEC office.

Di Governor later explain to tori pipo for Goment House say dem later find out say dis policemen bin wan come tiff electoral materials from di RSIEC premises.

But di Force headquarters don deny dis claim. Force tok-tok pesin Muyiwa Adejobi for statement say di govnor dey wrongly accuse di IG of police of bias.

E say wetin police bin wan do dia na to protect RSIEC based on di security report wey dem get.

Youths block major roads in protest

Sake of dis, some youths take over di entrance of RSIEC office along di Port Harcourt-Aba expressway as dem block di entire lane leading to di office.

Di youths wey dey protest under heavy rain say wetin dem dey do na to protect RSIEC from invasion by pipo wey no want make di election hold.

Explosion rock APC secretariat in Port Harcourt

On di election morning tori come out say some unknown armed men attack di state secretariat of APC for Port Harcourt, di Rivers state capital.

Though dem no report any casualty, tori be say di attackers use dynamite bomb some parts of di office.

Police neva tok anytin about di attack wey spoil some part of di building.

Dis na di second party secretariat wey armed men go attack opposition party secretariat. Ahead of di elections, di office of di All Peoples Party (APP) bin come under attack of dynamite exposion.

Di controversy around di conduct of di local goment election for Rivers state na di summary of di politicial crisis for di oil rich state.

Govnor Sim Fubara and im former oga, Nyesom Wike dey drag who go control di "structure" of di oil rich state for Southern Nigeria.

Di fight for di structure wey start since October 2023 don make di state a center of attraction. Many pipo dey watch how di fight go end.

Since di tenure of di past local goment Council chairmen for Rivers State expire on 17 June 2024, di Nigerian Police Force block entrance into di local goment Council offices for di 23 LGAs.

Dis make di Caretaker Committee Chairmen wey Governor Fubara appoint for di 23 LGAs to work from outside di Council secretariats.

Di police dey expected to vacate di Council secretariats at di end of di local goment election wen new Council chairman and members of di legislative assembly go don dey elected.