Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the outcome of Saturday’s local government elections in Rivers State, describing the exercise as “an awful absurdity” and calling on opposition parties to reject the results.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on Sunday declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) victorious in 20 out of 23 local government areas. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won three – Obio-Akpor, Port Harcourt City (PHALGA), and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA).
In a dramatic twist, Governor Siminalayi Fubara lost his Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area to the APC.
Atiku Condemns Process
Reacting in a statement released on his official X handle, Atiku described the election as a travesty to democracy.
“The local government election conducted by the occupation government in Rivers State is an awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy,” he wrote.
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The former PDP presidential candidate alleged that the APC manipulated the process for political gain.
“By the shameful and shambolic manner in which the occupation government went ahead to conduct the elections, it is clear that the ruling APC is prepared to throw caution to the wind in order to achieve an inordinate political advantage,” he added.
Calls for Wider Attention
Atiku further urged Nigerians, the international community, and Nigeria’s democratic partners to take note of what he described as a dangerous turn in the country’s politics under President Bola Tinubu.
“It therefore becomes necessary to call the attention of well-meaning Nigerians, international community and all friends and partners of Nigeria to the dangerous curve that the Tinubu regime is taking our dear country,” he said.
Opposition Parties Advised to Reject Results
The former Vice President called on opposition parties in Rivers State not to recognise the outcome, insisting that the election lacked legitimacy.
“I will also call on all opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the local government election on the premise that the occupation government that conducted the exercise is extraneous to our laws, with absolutely no legitimacy to undertake such a crucial and sensitive assignment,” he stressed.
Atiku also expressed solidarity with Rivers people, whom he described as victims of “political brigandage.”
“In the same breath, I wish to share my unflinching solidarity with the good people of Rivers State, who are currently victims of political brigandry by a power cabal bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost,” he said.
Background
Even though (RSIEC) and the former governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike had claimed that the election was just and free from malpractices, the APC’s victory in 20 local governments has further heightened political tension in Rivers, where rivalry between PDP and APC leaders in the state has deepened.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
