Mixed reactions as APC sweeps Rivers LG polls
…Claims 20 seats as PDP, Obi, Atiku reject results
By Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed victory in the Rivers State local government elections held on Saturday, securing 20 of the 23 chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won three.
The outcome has ignited a storm of criticism nationwide, with opposition leaders, civil society groups, and political commentators condemning the exercise as unconstitutional. APC stalwarts, however, maintained that the results reflect the true wishes of Rivers voters.
Former Vice President and 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, described the process as a blatant breach of the Constitution and a blow to grassroots democracy.
In a statement, Atiku said: “Democracy is anchored on the rule of law. What we have just witnessed in Rivers State is an assault on the very foundation of democratic governance. It is legally impossible for a Sole Administrator, whose very position is unconstitutional, to conduct an election. This charade is null and void.”
He further cautioned that such practices would undermine confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. “When we deliberately subvert the law for political expediency, we destroy the people’s faith in democracy. This is a dangerous precedent that must not stand,” he added.
Former Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, also condemned the polls, branding them “a double tragedy for Nigeria’s democracy.” In his response, Obi stated:
“This rascality has been taken too far. The people of Rivers have been denied their right to choose. It is not democracy when a Sole Administrator, an illegal appointee, presides over an election. Illegality can never produce legitimacy. What happened in Rivers is an outright desecration of democracy.”
Civil society groups have echoed these concerns. The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) described the polls as “a political theatre without legal or moral basis.”
In a joint statement, the organisation declared: “Nigerians must reject this brazen subversion of democracy. What took place in Rivers is not an election but an imposition. If unchecked, this culture of lawlessness will trickle down across the country.”
APC leaders, however, dismissed the backlash. Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Rivers APC, Hon. Tony Okocha, asserted that the results were a clear expression of popular support.
“The people of Rivers have spoken clearly. This election was conducted peacefully, and the result is a testament to the fact that Rivers people have embraced a new direction. Our victory is not by accident but by the overwhelming confidence the electorate has in the APC,” Okocha said.
The Rivers PDP has rejected the results outrightly. In a counter statement, the state PDP publicity secretary, Mr Sydney Gbara, insisted: “What happened was nothing but a sham. The so-called election was a staged arrangement to legitimise illegality. The APC cannot impose its will on Rivers people under the guise of democracy. We will explore all legal and political means to challenge this daylight robbery.”
Analysts say the development underscores growing tension between legality and political expediency in local governance. Voter turnout was reported as low, with many residents appearing disengaged. Opposition leaders argued this reflected widespread disillusionment, while APC leaders claimed the numbers were consistent with turnout patterns in local government elections across the country.
The controversy over the Rivers LG polls is expected to escalate into a legal showdown, with opposition figures calling for intervention from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary.