Rivers: Fubara, Loyalists Boycott LG Polls As Wike Regains Control Of Political Structure
Former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has regained his political influence in the state after a prolonged face-off with his successor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike, who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, recaptured 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.
Recall that in the heat of the crisis last year, Governor Fubara conducted a local government election, with his men sweeping relatively 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 unanimous 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 council polls on the grounds that the state’s voter’s register must be updated before the conduct of the poll.
In the run-up to the Saturday polls, Wike’s loyalists and former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stalwarts defected to the Chief Tony Okocha-led All Progressive Congress, APC, and picked the party’s ticket to contest the elections.
The move, according to analysts, was to allow Wike to take control of both the PDP and the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections in the state.
All the loyalists were cleared by the RSIEC to contest the election despite opposition from another faction of the APC, which has now shifted to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Meanwhile, the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara was conspicuously absent from the state during the exercise.
Also the governor’s key 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.
Similarly, the 23 former local government chairmen sacked by the Supreme Court shunned the election, paving the way for Wike’s men.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
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