Action People’s Party (APP) has won 22 chairmanship positions out of 23 in yesterday’s local government election in Rivers State.
Results were, however, being collated in Akwa Ibom, Jigawa and Benue at press time yesterday.
The chief election officer of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Adolphus Enebeli declared the results in Port Harcourt.
RSIEC, however, suspended declaration of results for Etche local government area as collation was still in progress at press time.
He said announcement for the 319 councillorship seats would be made with Etche result after collation, saying the election waas free, fair, and credible, despite all odds. He added that polls closed at 3:00 pm and recorded a large turnout of voters.
Declaration of the results was observed by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), chairmen of the state’s independent electoral bodies across the country and members of the Nigerian Bar Association who acted as observers in the polls.
PDP and APC in the state ordered their members and supporters to boycott the election, saying RSIEC did not follow laid down rules.
LEADERSHIP Sunday observed that no fewer than nine local government caretaker committee chairmen, who are members of the PDP as well as 14 other members of the party contested the chairmanship election under in the APP platform.
It was further observed that although the election was generally peaceful in many parts of the state, though there were gunshots in some areas, especially around Ogbunabali axis of Port Harcourt City local government area of the state.
Our correspondent also observed strict observance of the restriction of vehicular movement announced by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, despite contrary orders from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Agbetokun.
The police had on Friday announced that its personnel would not be part of the exercise following a judgement of the Federal High Court barring it from participating or providing security during the election. Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, again staged a peaceful protest around the Polo Club in Port Harcourt against the election.
The protesters, mainly youths said they gathered to tell the world there was no council election in the state.
The protesters said they were compelled to obey the Abuja Federal High Court judgment which ordered the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to steer clear from the polls.
Police confirmed an attack on the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the secretariat of Obio/Akpor local government council, in the state by suspected arsonists.
The command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the first occurred at about 3:00am at the APC secretariat located along Aba-Port Harcourt Road, the second explosion occured at about 3:30am at this Obio/Akpor council secretariat at Rumuodomanya.
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