The politics of Rivers State, already riddled with crises, power tussles and the extraordinary imposition of emergency rule, took a dramatic twist at the weekend as suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his loyalists were conspicuously absent from the state’s local government elections.

What could have been an opportunity for the embattled governor to reconnect with his base instead laid bare his growing isolation, as his former political mentor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, appeared to further tighten his hold on the state’s power structure.

Across Rivers, Saturday’s chairmanship and councillorship polls unfolded under a subdued atmosphere. At Ward 5, Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Fubara’s home base, electoral materials arrived at around 11 a.m. Residents waited, anticipating that their governor would cast his vote, but as polling closed at 3:30 p.m., there was still no sign of him. A source quietly disclosed: “The governor travelled to London and didn’t return before the election. People were hopeful he would come, but he never showed up.”

For a man slated to resume office on September 18, 2025, when the six-month emergency rule is expected to end, his absence spoke volumes.

The elections followed months of fierce political confrontation, culminating in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declaring emergency rule on March 18. That decision suspended Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Former Naval Chief Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd.) was installed as the state’s sole administrator, a move that drew criticism from political leaders and legal experts nationwide.

Although Fubara and Wike staged a reconciliation in the weeks after the presidential intervention, insiders maintain that the so-called peace accord remains tenuous. Key figures from Fubara’s camp, including former Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, former Secretary to the State Government Tammy Danagogo, and the sacked 23 local government chairmen, were also missing from polling units on Saturday.

The governor’s political machinery, known as the Simplified Movement, was notably inactive, while Fubara’s media aide, Boniface Onyedi, offered no clarity. “I can’t make any comment for now. Let’s wait till next week,” he told journalists.

This silence has intensified speculation over whether Fubara’s return is genuinely imminent or is being carefully orchestrated by Abuja in alignment with Wike’s influence.

The results from Saturday’s polls painted a decisive picture. Of the 23 chairmanship seats, 20 went to the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose Rivers leadership is firmly in the hands of Wike ally Chief Tony Okocha. The remaining three seats went to the PDP in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni — with Obio/Akpor being Wike’s stronghold.

Observers see this division as a calculated restructuring of Rivers’ political base under the Renewed Hope Agenda. An APC insider put it bluntly: “Wike has stabilised the grassroots. The governor may return, but the local structures are firmly under our control.”

Casting his ballot in Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor, Wike confidently described the exercise as successful. “As far as we are concerned, this election is peaceful, people are trooping out, and at the end of the day, it has been conducted successfully and peacefully. By September 18, the state of emergency will expire and we will have a government at the grassroots level. The coast is clear.”

While applauding the overall conduct, Wike criticised the absence of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) but maintained that the results reflected credibility. His message was clear: democratic order is being restored to Rivers on terms defined by his camp.

Attention now shifts to President Tinubu’s next move — whether he will allow emergency rule to lapse in September and reinstate Fubara or extend the measure under the pretext of instability.

Presidential aides have remained deliberately evasive. Kamarudeen Ogundele, spokesperson for Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), told reporters: “The President declared the state of emergency based on the powers conferred on him and in accordance with the Constitution. Wait until that time. There is no need for speculation.”

Civil society figures, however, are pushing for Fubara’s reinstatement. Former NBA Vice President Monday Ubani argued strongly: “I believe Fubara should be restored to power because he was elected by the people so that he can complete his mandate after this local government poll. Allowing him to finish his tenure would be a victory for the electorate who entrusted him with their mandate.”

On the ground, though, the polls bore familiar flaws. Voter apathy in urban areas, late arrival of materials, missing result sheets, and ballot-stuffing in rural communities such as Emuoha tainted the exercise. Yet state administrator Ibas maintained an upbeat tone.

For now, Rivers remains in political limbo, governed by a caretaker imposed from Abuja while its grassroots structures are firmly in Wike’s grip.

Fubara’s absence on election day was more than a scheduling issue; it carried a message that raises questions over his ability to reclaim authority even if reinstated.

The countdown to September 18 has begun.