Rivers LGA chairmen go resume afta months of political kasala between Wike, Fubara

Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), officially inaugurate and swear-in all 23 Local goment wey win election on Saturday.

Di ceremony happun on Monday for Government House, Port Harcourt, just hours after di chairmen collect dia certificates of return from di Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC.

Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas charge di local goment chairmen to lead dia domains well so di pipo go enjoy di dividend of democracy.

Chairman of RSIEC, Dr Michael Odey bin give dem di council chairmen certificate of return for RSIEC headquarters for Port Harcourt.

Councillors for di different wards wey also win di election also collect dia certificate of return.

For di first time for di history of di oil-rich state since 1999, di All Progressives Congress (APC) win 20 out of di 23 local govment areas while di ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP win only three local govment areas.

Reactions to di LG elections

Di conduct of local govment election don get various reactions as some describe am to be peaceful election while odas dey criticise am say e no follow due process.

Former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, describe di local govment election as "awful absurdity and travesty to di veri notion of elective democracy".

E say, "By di shameful and shambolic manner in which di occupation govment go ahead to conduct local govment elections for Rivers State, e dey clear say di ruling APC party no dey leave anyone in doubt say dem dey prepared to throw caution to di wind in order to achieve inordinate political advantage."

Atiku Abubakar call di attention of well-meaning Nigerians, international community and all friends and partners of Nigeria "to di dangerous curve wey President Bola Tinubu regime dey take di kontri".

"I also call on all opposition parties for Rivers State to reject di local govment election on di ground say di occupation govment wey conduct di exercise no dey known by our laws, wit absolutely no legitimacy to undertake such crucial and sensitive assignment," Atiku tok.

Former govnor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, describe di conduct of di Rivers State local govment election as "rascality taken too far".

For statement for im X handle, Peter Obi say, "E represent double tragedy for our democracy wen Sole Administrator - imsef illegally appointed - dare to conduct election wey suppose empower di pipo. Dis no be democracy; na outright desecration of di veri foundation.

"Such actions dey unconstitutional, legally untenable, and morally indefensible. E dey send a dangerous message say di rule of law fit dey discarded at di whim of dose wey dey for power. But di truth still remain unshaken: illegality no fit ever give birth to legitimacy. Any structure wey dey erected on foundation of lawlessness na danger to both di state and di pipo," e tok.

Also di deputy govnorship candidate of Labour Party for di 2023 elections for Rivers State, Sam Kinane describe di local govment election as shamble.

Kinane say di "so called election no follow di laid down procedure by law", and add say since di declaration of state of emergency, di state don witness a lot of abnormalities.

Di Labour Party chieftain say democratic process no fit dey conducted under emergency rule.

"Veri, veri abnormal for sole administrator to conduct local govment election. And of course, witout even looking at di abnormal aspect of am, INEC don come out clearly to state say dem fall short of di conditions for local govment election. And den dem don ignore even di statement of INEC, wey be national body, so you fit see di level of anomalies for River State."

Kinane also express concern over di way most of di APC candidates for di election wey bin be PDP members emerge without proper defection from PDP to APC.

E say, " Look at di formation of di political parties wey make up dis election. We get di APC, we get di PDP. For local govment chairman wey don rule bifor on PDP witout proper decamping to come and take ticket on di platform of APC, e no dey proper."

Rivers State Civil Society Organisation say dem dey head to court to challenge di local govment elections.

Chairman of di organisation, Enefaa Georgewill, describe di election exercise as clear rejection by di pipo of Rivers State and argue say wit no opposition and witout key materials like di Bivas, wetin happun no suppose dey recognised as election.

Enefaa Georgewill, however, commend Rivers pipo for di way dem display maturity and no resort to violence despite di provocations and dia non-participation.

"We dey head to court to challenge di legitimacy of di emergency rule. We also dey challenge di legitimacy of di sole administrator to conduct election becos e no get di power to do so.

How pesin wey come under quasi-military situation to maintain law and order as e claim now come dey conduct democratic process? E no make sense so we want make di court interpret am for us.

We also dey challenge di composition of di RSIEC body wey conduct di so called election becos we no know who di chairman be. Dis no just be becos e no be indigene of Rivers State but di fact say di law say na only duly elected govnor fit compose di RSIEC body and dat no be wetin dey ground," e tok.

Wit dis certificate of return, di local govment chairmen-elect go soon take oath of office.

For many of dem, dis go be dia second tenure as local govment chairmen.