Rivers: Wike regains control of political structure as Fubara, loyalists boycott LG polls

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has regained significant political control in the state after a prolonged dispute with his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Wike reestablished his grip on the local government structures on Saturday, following elections held across all 23 Local Government Areas by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

These elections came after a long period of political turmoil that deeply divided the state.

At the height of the conflict last year, Governor Fubara organized a controversial local government poll, where his allies claimed victory in nearly all chairmanship seats.

Candidates loyal to Fubara had contested the October 4, 2024, election under the Action Peoples Party (APP) and secured wins in 22 out of 23 LGAs.

However, on February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court voided that election. The judgment came in response to an appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC). Justice Jamilu Tukur, delivering the unanimous ruling, reaffirmed an earlier Federal High Court order that had barred RSIEC from conducting the polls until the state’s voter register was properly updated.

Fubara’s Suspension and the Wike Reconciliation

Concerned about the escalating political conflict, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18. He suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for six months.

The move was aimed at restoring political stability.

In the months that followed, Tinubu facilitated a peace meeting with both Fubara and Wike, held at the State House. Reports indicate that an agreement was reached between both parties in the presence of the president. As part of that agreement, Wike’s political allies were to be allowed back into the local government structure.

This development paved the way for the recent local government elections held on Saturday.

Wike’s Allies Regain Control

Ahead of the election, several of Wike’s associates and former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shifted allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the leadership of Tony Okocha. They contested the polls under the APC banner.

Political analysts suggest that this strategy was aimed at allowing Wike to strengthen his influence within both the PDP and APC in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

RSIEC approved all these candidates to run, despite resistance from another faction of the APC, which has since aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In total, Wike-backed candidates ran in 20 LGAs on the APC platform, while three others contested under the PDP in key areas: Obio-Akpor (Wike’s home base), Port Harcourt, and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni.

Though RSIEC has yet to officially declare the results, signs suggest Wike’s camp is poised to dominate.

Fubara’s Camp Boycotts the Polls

The suspended governor, expected to resume office on September 18, was noticeably absent from the state during the election.

His close allies, including Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, Secretary to the Government Dr. Tammy Danagogo, and other top loyalists, also stayed away from their polling units.

The 23 former council chairmen removed by the Supreme Court similarly avoided the polls, leaving the field open for Wike’s supporters.

One insider from Fubara’s camp, speaking anonymously, said there was no motivation to participate, claiming: “we knew the winners before the election started. So why do we need to waste our precious time to go and vote? Vote for who?”

He clarified that the governor is not in the country at the moment, saying “we are expecting him to be back early next month close to when he will be returning to the office.

“Most of the things happening today are parts of the agreement Wike and Fubara signed in the presence of Mr President. They have taken the power from the governor,” he added.

According to him, “Fubara believes that there is nothing, including his seat, that cannot be sacrificed for the sake of peace. Have you seen where an elected president removes another elected leader before? It has never happened.

“We all listened to Shettima when he said the president has no power to suspend even a local government chairman not to talk of a sitting governor but it has happened and they did it successfully. That’s the country we live in today”.

Election marred by apathy

There was a very low turnout of voters across the state on Saturday as only a few residents could be seen queuing up at various polling units.

Reporters gathered that as of 11.40am on Saturday, there was no single voter at the Ward 17 Unit 054 Obio-Akpor LGA of the state.

A resident of the area and an eligible voter, Wisdom Kagbara alleged that boys were seen “thumb printing ballot papers” for the APC candidate.

“Lets wait and see what they will announce as results as all our streets are for soccer”, he lamented in an X post.

Another resident of Port Harcourt, Grace Agba told reporters that there was no need to waste time to vote “when they have already written the results. Whether you vote or not, the results they wrote is what they will announce”.

“I was in the market three days ago and everybody was saying that there was no need to vote. The agreement has been signed and Wike’s men are taking over.

“Left for some of us, they shouldn’t have wasted the money spent for the exercise, they should have just announced the unelected winners. This is pure selection and not an election”, she lamented.

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