LG Polls Hold in Rivers, Benue, A/Ibom, Jigawa Today

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By Correspondent

Voters in four States of Nigeria, Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Jigawa states are presently out to elect Local Government Council chairmen and councilors.

Keeping the tradition of make-believe election, the ruling parties in each of the four states are expected to sweep all the seats, due to the undemocratic influence of the respective governors.

The outcomes will also be affected intra-party crisis, boycott by opposing political parties, and court orders stopping elections, in the case of Rivers State.

The situation in Rivers which has raised political tension and security risk, makes the exercise dicey. The verbal war between the embattled Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has exacerbated the Rivers polity ahead of today’s election.

Going by the support Fubara has given the Action People’s Party, the APP is predicted to post a landslide victory in a contest that experience ups and down. This prediction is fueled by the defection of Governor Fubara’s men to the party ahead of the poll and the crises in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Added to this, a faction of the PDP loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike had withdrawn from the election, while another faction of the APC led by Emeka Beke, loyal to a former governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, however, announced its readiness to participate in today’s election to give credence to Fubara’s orchestra.

But another faction led by Chief Tony Okocha, believed to draw strength from Federal Capital Minister, Nyesom Wike and recognised by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, will not participate in the election.

Despite his denial of defection to the APP, Fubara is expected to defect to seek his second term ticket.

Yesterday, Governor Fubara insisted that the election must hold, even with legal encumbrances hanging over the conduct. He challenged adding that the Inspector General of Police would be held responsible for any breakdown of security in the state.

Fubara’s outburst came shortly after the Nigeria Police Force pledged to uphold the Federal High Court’s ruling which barred the conduct of the local government election in Rivers State today.

The force spokesman, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said it was aware of the September 30 judgement of the court stopping the poll.

In Benue State, the main opposition party, PDP and the ruling APC are going into the election with baggages of two factions led by former governors Gabriel Suswam and Samuel Ortom, who are bent on controlling structures in the state.

Flashes of upcoming clashes was surfaced yesterday when the newly inaugurated State Working Committee (SWC) of the PDP was locked out of the party’s state secretariat in Makurdi. The Ortom backed SWC arrived to collect handover notes from the outgoing caretaker committee, but met a firmly locked door.

Earlier, a faction of the PDP had accused Amb Iliya Umar Damagum led NWC of manipulating ward and local government congresses, which led to legal issues. Some party leaders loyal to Suswam, led by Terngu Tsegba, has called for order.

Damagum has rubber stamped congresses in several local government areas, including Gboko and Guma, even as congresses failed to hold. Like in Rivers, the crisis has escalated with a court order that stopped the congresses in the state, but the NWC allegedly had ignored the injunction.

The APC too is engaged in factional battle as members that are still loyal to Governor Hyacinth Alia and others loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, have locked horns, despite the existence of a caretaker committee set up by the NWC, which absolved members of both factions.

The SGF faction Midwest Herald gathered has refused to accept the APC seven-member committee headed by Benjamin Omale as chairman in the state.

The situation in Akwa Ibom State looks like easy ride for Governor Umo Eno because the APC and other opposition parties have not shown determination to win the election.

The internal fued facing the APC will stop Senate President Godswill Akpabio from winning anything in the election. The assurance by the APC Local Government Election Campaign Council, Senator Ita Enang, that the party was fully prepared and committed to win the poll, may not galvanize votes. The APC leadership said it had lost confidence in the chairman of the state electoral body, Aniediabasi Ikoiwak.

In Jigawa State, the police command was forced to impose restrictions on all forms of vehicular movement from 12am this morning, October 5, 2024 to 6pm today, except for those on essential services or duties.

The police authority warned political parties and their followers intending to use weapons are advised to refrain from such and strictly adhere to and abide by the rules and regulations governing the electoral process.