BY BONNY AMADI
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), Rivers State Administrator, on Monday sworn in the newly elected Local Government Chairmen in last Saturday’s controversial council polls.
Despite widespread condemnation and disapproval of the exercise, Ibas held the swearing-in ceremony of the chairmen-elect for the 23 local government councils at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday evening.
A statement from Hector Igbikiowubo, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Administrator, confirmed Ibas encouraged the Chairmen-elect to adopt transparent, accountable, and reform-driven leadership in their areas.
He stated, “This victory is not a prize to be enjoyed. It is a burden to be carried. It is not an entitlement, but a duty. It is not a call to self-interest, but to selfless service.”
Ibas warned that leadership must move beyond patronage politics, emphasising the need to deliver tangible services that improve citizens’ lives at the grassroots.
Reflecting on the state’s recent challenges, he recalled President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 18, 2025, resulting from disagreements among political actors in Rivers State.
He praised the “peaceful conduct” of the Local Government elections on August 30, 2025, describing it as a decisive step in restoring constitutional order in the oil-rich state.
Addressing Rivers residents, he said, “You proved that democracy belongs to the people, that power must flow from the consent of the governed, and that no obstacle can weaken the resolve of a united citizenry.”
The Administrator also commended the electorate for their discipline and active participation, while lauding the Rivers State Independent Elec- toral Commission for conducting a transparent and credible election.
It was earlier reported that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, condemned the conduct of the local government elections held in Rivers State, describing the process as a sham and a betrayal of democratic principles.
In a post on his X handle, Atiku said, “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.”
It would be recalled that SaharaReporters reported that the LGA Elections took place across 6,866 polling units in 319 wards on Saturday, six months and two days after the Supreme Court nullified the local government election conducted on October 5, 2024, by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
According to the officially announced results, the All-Progressives Congress, which is the main opposition party in the state, won 20 of the 23 LGs while the ruling People’s Democratic Party won the remaining three LGs.
Most of the winners are acclaimed loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
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