Rivers: Fubara loyalists boycott LG election as Wike regains political structure

Former Governor of Rivers, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has regained his political control in state after a long face-off with his successor, Siminalayi Fubara.

The Minister regained the local government structure on Saturday following the election conducted in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), under the Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.

Recall, in the heat of the political disagreement last year, Governor Fubara conducted a highly peaceful local government election with great turn out of voters, despite the Tinubu administration not providing federal security, with the exception of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) providing security, with his men sweeping nearly all the chairmanship positions.

Fubara’s loyalists had contested the election conducted on October 4, 2024 under the Action Peoples Party (APP), and won 22 out of the 23 chairmanship positions in the state.

However, the Supreme Court on February 28, 2025, nullified the election, following an appeal brought before the apex court by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, invalidated the election after it restored a judgment of the Federal High Court, which earlier in 2024 restrained RSIEC from proceeding with the conduct of the LG polls on the grounds that the state’s voter’s register must be updated before the conduct of the poll.

As the political feud between Wike and his then estranged political son prolonged, President Bola Tinubu on March 18, declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months. A move unheard of since the beginning of the fourth Republic. This move singular action brought to bear the question of constitutionality in suspending a democratically elected State government by the President.

A few months after the suspension, Tinubu met with Fubara and Wike at the state House and brokered peace between them. Part of the agreement, according to reports, was to allow Wike’s men to return to the local government.

The suspended Governor, who is expected to return to the government house on September 18, was conspicuously absent from the state during the exercise.

The governor’s supporters included his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, the Secretary to the Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo and other notable loyalists were absent from their various polling units during the election.

Also, the 23 former local government chairmen sacked by the Supreme Court shunned the election, paving the way for Wike’s men.

There was extremely low turnout of voters across the state on Saturday as only a few residents could be seen queuing up at various polling units.