The Rivers State local government election, held on October 5, 2024, was marred by violence, including explosions and gunshots, as reported in various parts of the state. Despite these disruptions, the Action Peoples Party (APP) won the majority of chairmanship seats in the election.
Justice Adolphus Enebeli, the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), declared 22 chairmanship candidates of the APP as winners. Enebeli explained that after the collation of results, these candidates secured the majority of valid votes in two-thirds of their respective wards. However, the result for the chairmanship position in Etche Local Government Area was postponed due to its large size and the slow collation process.
During the announcement of the results in Port Harcourt, Enebeli praised the election as being “smooth, safe, free, fair, credible, transparent, and violence-free despite all odds.”
The announcement was witnessed by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, representatives from 18 political parties, civil society groups, journalists, and returning officers.
Mixed Reactions to the Election Process
In Port Harcourt Local Government Area, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Okpara, praised the election process after casting his vote, commending the peaceful nature of the exercise. Okpara criticized those who boycotted the election, stating, “Those who boycotted did so for selfish reasons. If the election didn’t hold, Rivers State would lose vital federal funds for local councils. It’s clear that those against the election are the true enemies of Rivers State.”
Chijioke Ihunwo, the APP candidate for Obio/Akpor LGA, also expressed his satisfaction with the process, describing the election as peaceful despite attempts by “enemies of the state” to disrupt it.
However, not everyone shared these sentiments. In the hometown of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, located in Obio/Akpor LGA, voters expressed frustration as election officials failed to appear. A voter named Oluchi said, “Election did not hold in Rumueprikom, but in other places, it did. We don’t know what happened.” Similar reports of missing election officials were noted in Mgbuoba and Ozuoba communities.
Several political factions also expressed dissatisfaction with the process. The Tony Okocha-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) boycotted the election, citing a lack of transparency, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to Wike also withdrew, accusing RSIEC of bias.
Violence and Explosions Reported
Despite the overall praise for the election, violence erupted in some areas. In Elekahia Primary School, Port Harcourt City LGA, political thugs and men in police uniforms disrupted the process, forcing RSIEC officials and voters to flee. Armed men arrived in several vans, fired tear gas, and chased away officials, even demanding they remove their vests. The assailants stole election materials and fired tear gas directly into a crowd of voters and bystanders, causing panic and chaos.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the Rivers State police spokesperson, said she was unaware of the incident but noted that investigations were ongoing.
In addition to the violence, two explosions rocked key locations in the state. The first explosion occurred at the APC secretariat on Aba Road in the early hours of Saturday. According to Iringe-Koko, security guards reported hearing a loud bang and witnessed three black Toyota Hilux vans speeding away from the scene. The explosion caused significant damage to the gate and shattered the windows of the building.
The second explosion took place at the Obio/Akpor Local Government secretariat around 3:30 a.m. Eyewitnesses reported that a black Toyota Hilux van and a white Toyota Sienna minivan drove by the secretariat, throwing an object suspected to be dynamite, which caused damage to the building’s roof and generator house.
The police responded swiftly, with the Explosive Ordinance Disposal and Anti-Bomb Squad deployed to both scenes. An improvised explosive device was recovered at the APC secretariat, and samples from both sites were collected for forensic analysis.
Iringe-Koko urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities, noting that investigations were underway to apprehend the perpetrators.
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APC Condemns Attacks
The Rivers State chapter of the APC condemned the bombing of its secretariat, describing the incident as an attack on the party. Former caretaker committee chairman Tony Okocha expressed shock over the explosions, wondering why the attacks occurred when no election was taking place at the secretariat.
Speaking to journalists, Okocha emphasized the seriousness of the situation, referencing a court judgment that deemed the election illegal and barred the police and Department of State Services (DSS) from participating. He questioned how security could be assured without the involvement of law enforcement agencies.
Chibuike Ikenga, the former publicity secretary of the APC CTC, also condemned the attack and called for a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
Protests Against Election
Supporters of Wike staged a protest in Port Harcourt on the morning of the election, insisting that no election should take place based on a Federal High Court judgment. The protesters, mostly youths, gathered at the Polo Club area of GRA in Port Harcourt and moved towards other parts of the city, calling for the election to be stopped.
Bob Manuel, one of the protesters, stated, “We are law-abiding citizens, which is why we are not participating in the election. We are here to show that no local council election is holding in Rivers State.”
Despite the protests and violence, the Rivers local government election results were declared for 22 of the 23 LGAs, with the APP sweeping the majority of the seats.