Governor Siminalayi Fubara has sworn in 23 newly elected local government chairmen in Rivers State.
The ceremony took place on Sunday at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt, a day after the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted grassroots elections.
The event was graced by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who also serves as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.
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Fubara expressed joy over the successful conduct of the local government election, acknowledging that it was only through divine help that they navigated the challenges of the past few days.
He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for his democratic stance.
Assuring Governor Mohammed of his continued loyalty to the PDP, Fubara stated that desperate situations call for desperate measures.
He emphasized that his administration, with the support of the people, acted to protect and revitalize local government councils.
Fubara stressed that he would not adopt confrontational tactics like his opponents, aiming instead to safeguard the state’s assets without causing disorder.
He urged the newly elected chairmen to see themselves as servants of the people, not rulers.
The governor highlighted the need for development at the local government level and reminded them that the people are the true political structure they must serve.
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Earlier on Sunday, RSIEC issued certificates of return to the newly elected chairmen. Following an election that took place amid tension, the Action Peoples Party (APP) secured 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions in the state.
However, the declaration of results for Etche Local Government Area (LGA) was delayed due to ongoing collation.
RSIEC Chairman, Adolphus Enebeli, noted that the results for the 319 councillorship seats and the Etche chairmanship position would be announced once the collation process is complete.
On Sunday, RSIEC declared Uzodinma Nwafor of the Action Alliance (AA) as the winner of the Etche LGA chairmanship race.
Enebeli described the election as free, fair, and credible, despite challenges. He praised the high voter turnout, with polls closing at 3 pm.
The results were observed by representatives from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), state electoral body chairmen from across Nigeria, and members of the Nigerian Bar Association who served as observers.
Enebeli commended the residents for their patriotism and explained that the commission had to “adopt the principle of bi-location” due to the unique challenges they faced during the election.
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