As most political observers already know, the upcoming Rivers State local council elections scheduled for October 5, 2024, is nothing near local council election but a full 2027 governorship election by all its ramifications.
In the past for some time now, nobody takes note when local council elections took place. This is because, such elections are regarded as handpicking exercise right inside the womb of the seat of power (Brick House). Not this one!
Wike’s boast
The LGA election took a sharp dimension few months back when Nyesom Wike, former governor of the state and now FCT Minister, erstwhile political godfather of Governor Sim Fubara, stirred the camps by saying 2027 should come fast. The Fubara camp seemed to decode the statement as a big threat.
Wike was in almost full control of the 23 LGA chairmen. It was clear that with federal backing, they would win the LGA election and form a strong force to block the governor from winning in most LGAs. Already, the governor was battling the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike who were menacingly dangling impeachment threats.
The Fubara camp reasoned that if Wike did not unseat him from the House of Assembly, he could use the LGAs to stop him in 2027. Already, there are many cases in court. Also, Wike seems to control both the APC and the PDP in the state. So, Fubara seemed to feel the heat from all corners.
The governor thus, made his move. He refused to conduct any election while the LGA bosses were on seat with funds in their control. He first knocked off the funds, warehoused it for future until new LGA bosses would come in.
He wanted the tenure of the LGA bosses to run out naturally on June 17, 2024. His opponents read the move, and used the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike (termed defected legislators) to elongate the term of the council chairmen to another six months.
Fubara refused to sign the law and they overrode him and passed it. Fubara ignored them and appointed caretaker committee chairmen with the approval of the rival speaker in the House.
While these were going on, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) woke up and announced the timetable. With Fubara’s men now in charge in all LGAs, the Wike camp flared up and rejected the election attempt.
They went to court. Explaining the reason they are in court, Tony Okocha, caretaker committee (CTC) chairman of the APC that was sacked by the court, told loyalists that they were in court seeking to restrain the agencies that conduct elections such as the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
“I was the one that kept asking the RSIEC to conduct an election by rolling out the timetable within the 90 days stipulated by the law. It is not because we do not have the power to contest but to demand that the process be transparent. We do not want to walk on thorns. The election, if allowed to hold, will not represent our votes,” he said.
He also said that until the processes were in tandem with the law, and they were carried along, they would not agree.
“I cannot expose you to a process that will end in nothing. Many of you will sell landed and other assets to contest,” he said.
He has assured his supporters that the LGA election would not hold, at least, not any time soon.
The state government thinks it would hold. They are busy preparing to contest and win. The result may join the long pile of issues in various courts in Port Harcourt and Abuja. The FG seems to be doing their own underground works. If they dethrone the Fubara LGA henchmen and use the INEC to conduct the election, they may win. If Fubara conducts it with RSIEC, his camp may win. The problem is about who would conduct the election and the peace needed to conduct it.
Conclusion:
The battle thus, seems to be who would decide the organisers of the election (RSIEC or INEC), not who will win. The winner will naturally flow from who conducted it.
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