Fubara gets the last laugh, swears in 23 newly elected Rivers LG chairmen

Fubara performed the swearing-in exercise at the Executive Council Chamber of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday, October 6, 2024.

This came hours after the chairmen were issued certificates of return by the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Adolphus Enebeli.

The event was attended by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who doubles as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.

After the election characterised by several controversies and tension, the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, leaving the Action Alliance (AA) candidate to claim the remaining seat.

Fubara expressed great joy for the success of the exercise, noting that it takes the help of God to survive the challenges of the past few days.

He also appreciated President Bola Tinubu for demonstrating that he’s a true democrat.

The Governor assured his Bauchi counterpart that he’s still a member of the PDP, saying he needed to adopt a desperation action to resolve a desperate situation.

He vowed never to toe the same line as his opponents by being confrontational to protect the assets of the state and cause a breakdown of law and order.

Addressing the new chairmen, Fubara advised them to see themselves as servants, and not emperors.

Highlighting the need to develop the local government areas, the Governor charged them to work for the people, who he described as the real political structure.

Pulse reports that there was resistance by some political stakeholders, including the Wike, the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Minister, and some members of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop the election from taking place.

A Federal High Court judgement had prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing the 2023 Voter Register to the RSIEC for the purpose of the election.

At the same time, another court judgement bars the Nigeria Police Force from providing security during the election.