Rivers State, LGAs Elections: Gov, Fubara Makes Mockery Of Wike, FCT, Minister

By Lateef Adegbite

 Siminalayi Fubara, the Opobo/Nkro, born politician and governor of Rivers state, appears to have made a bold his promise to take advantage of the three months grace period given by the Federal Government before the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on the Autonomy of local governments Administrations in the country to conduct elections   into local government councils in the state.

Gov.Fubara/Wike when the going was good

  Although, Nyensom Wike, a former governor of the state and now minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, who was said to be controlling the political machinery of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the Opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, and his loyalists were said to have done everything within their powers including going using the federal might and going through the court process to stall the election but that was how far they could go.

  Gov. Fubara, who may have seen the conduct of the LGAs election in Rivers state as his last fight with the all – powerful and unofficial Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was said to have thrown his weight behind the leadership of the state Independent Electoral Commission to put the necessary logistics in place   to conduct proposed,Saturday, October  5, 2024, Local Government elections.

Obaniwonda: CP, Rivers state, withdrew policemen from Government House, PourtHarcourt, Capital of Rivers state, on the orders of the IGP

 Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police, IGP,  may have sent have sent message to the Rivers state  governor through Olufemi Obaniwonda, the state Commissioner of Police that policemen would not be deployed   to provide security during the Saturday 5, 2024,  local government elections, in line with the Supreme Court order  refraining  from  direct involvement  in the election process.

The IGP, was said to have ordered Obaniwonda, the CP, in Rivers state to withdraw all the  policemen from Rivers state the Government House  deployed to the office of the , Rivers state Independent electoral Commission, RSIEC, to aid the conduct   of the LGs, elections.

The Rivers  state Police Command ,  CP, was said to seen the action of the governor as  a slight on his position but there was nothing he could  do  on his own to counter the governor’s directive.It was not surprising why he relayed   the governor’s action to the IGP, who was said to have given him ‘’the clearance   to withdraw the policemen deployed to the Government Hose and replace them with those from the Operations Department’’.

The IGP,  was quoted to have said that  ‘’the mandate  of the policemen from the Force Operations Department, under Ayuba Ekpebi, Deputy Inspector General, DIG, of Police,    was ‘’to provide  overnight  security  for the RSIEC,   to prevent   any attack on the facility by political tugs’’.

He noted that the NPF, Authorities had taken the bold initiative   because there had been series of security breaches in the state   following the spate of court orders and reactions to them by supporters of the PDP, APC and other political Parties involved.

 In carrying out the IGP’s instructions, Obaniwonda, the Rivers state Commissioner of Police, had said that the response of the Command   to secure the state Independent Electoral Commission facility    overnight  was ‘’professional and has nothing to do with him as alleged by Gov. Fubara.

 He reportedly said that the Command took the proactive to deploy policemen from the Command Operations Department based on intelligence report at its disposal of plans by thugs to attack the RSIEC, facility.

  Muyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of the Police and the Force spokesperson who may have spoken the mind of the IGP, in response to the emotional outbursts of the River state governor and the weighty accusations   levelled against the IGP and the entire Police Force, was said to have warned him’’ to exercise caution and decency in the pursuit of individual political goals’’.

Neighbourhood Safety Corps agency operatives, provided security during LGAs, elections in Rivers state

Given that the Rivers state Commissioner of Police on the orders of the IGP, have withdrawn all the security details deployed to government House on the orders of the IGP, for insulting the IGP and the entire police  may have emboldened  the governor to mobilize the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, the internal security agency of the state, under the close watch of one Mike Chukwuma, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, rtd, to provide security in Government House, PortHarcourt and other public facilities in the state as well providing security during the Saturday, October 5, 2024, LGAs, elections in the state.

 As a prelude to ensuring that there was no ‘’breakdown of Law and Order’’, all the Commanders of the state security agency   and their operatives were said to have been directed on Friday, October 4, 2024, to prepare   for the Saturday. October 5, LGAs elections at their various local government’s INEC offices   with their  black and black uniforms, why Commanders of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps agency in  PortHarcourt and Obio Akpo   are to report  at the RSIEC,  office  in PortHarcourt, the state Capital, on their black and black uniforms  to provide the needed security .  The neighbourhood Safety Corps agency operatives were said to have complied with the directive. 

Johnson Alalibo: Director,RSIEC

It was not surprising why Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, Director, RSIEC, could talk authoritatively that there is no going back on the proposed LGs, elections slate d for Saturday, October 5, 2024.   The Rivers state electoral Commission, boss had said that nothing could have stopped the LGs elections in the state from holding as proposed because the REIEC Law of 2018 and the ruling of Justice I.P.C. Igwe of the state High Court on September 4th, 2024, and the 1999 Constitution of 199, as amended, empowered the Commission ‘’to conduct LGAs, elections in the state’’.

Determined to the  conduct of the Saturday, October 5, 2024, LGs elections, the RSIEC,  Authorities were said to have  transported sensitive materials  to the various local government  councils across the state, just as  the updated 2023, voters registers were said to have also been made available  at all the 6,366 polling booths in the state.

The ruling PDP in the state and the Opposition APC, may not have presented Candidates for the Saturday, October 5, 20224, Rivers LGAs elections forcing the governor to resort to plan B, by ensuring that those who wants to contest the election on the ticket of the PDP, but could not do so because of their alleged loyalty to him could use the Action People’s Party, APP, platform, described as an insignificant party,, under the Chairmanship of Uchenna Nnadi to do so.  Osita Nnadi, the Presidential Candidate of the unknown APP, in the February 25, 2023, general elections, was said to have backed the deal between the party and Gov. Fabara for the LGAs, Chairmanship Candidates and Councilors to contest the election on the ticket of the party.    

The election was said to be peaceful in different parts of the state including the remotest riverine communities in the state but turned out to be violent in Rumuepirikom community, home town of Wike, the FCT, minister, and some other parts of Obio Akp and PortHarcourt local government area where   was gunshuts, bomb explosions  and protests.

Wike : FCT, minister, losing out in Rivers state

 There were reports that some unidentified   armed party thugs, believed to be loyal to the minister   were said to have stormed the minister’s Ward in Obio Akpor LGA, to launch a violent attack on the voters amidst exchange of gun shots as one person was said to have sustained bullet wounds and quick rushed to hospital to stop the bleeding.  The intervention of the Neighborhood Safety Corps agency operatives was said to have brought the situation under control and the election continued.

The question on the lips of most people was why the political thug believed to be working for the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the state but loyal to Wike and those of the Opposition All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state try to disrupt the elections when they are participating in it like Action Peoples Party,  APP,  Action Alliance, AA,  African Action Congress, AAC, and other parties. There were also reports  that in Ward  19, Elekahia, Port Harcourt City LGA, collation  centre,   voters had alleged  that  the police   came  in and started  shooting  and using tear gas  on them. This is evident as ballot papers were seen littered on the floor of the collation center.

There is no gain saying the fact that both not for the quick  intervention of the  Neighbourhood Safety Corps agency, operatives in the situation at the FCT, minister’s Ward at Obio Akpo , LGA and PHALGA, would have degenerated that the  elections may not have held in the two LGA’s in the state.

By holding the LGA, elections, which the Wike’s camp had said would not hold, despite the using the Federal might to disrupt the elections in some parts of the state, Gov. Fubra, has whittled down the power of PDP and APC, in the state as he was said thrown his weight behind APP, described as an insignificant party in the state to take the place of the PDP, in the state.

 By winning all the 23 LGAs, in the state, including Obio Akpo, the minister‘s home local government, as announced by Justice Adolpus  Enebeli,  The Returning officer,  Gov. Fubara, appears to have sent a message to Wike, the strong man of Rivers state  politics, that the tide has turned, as he could no longer command such political influence in the state.

 The Rivers state governor who has refused to be treated as puppet     appears to have made a bold statement that he is unstoppable in the upcoming 2027, governorship election in the state as he is most likely going to contest the governorship election on the ticket of the APP, to prove a point that he can win election with or without Wike.

Theophilus Alaye, President, Ijaw, Youth Council, IYC, had said that with the success achieved by Gov. Fubara,  in the  conduct of the LGAs elections in the Rivers state, and using an insignificant  party to win all the  Chairmanship and chancellorship Seats  clearly shows that he is the new emerging political Leader to watch in the state  as   he has made a mockery of the FCT, minister.  

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