“Chaos in Rivers: Eleme LG Secretariat Set Ablaze as New Chairman Takes Office”

Babatunji Wusu –

• Incident Overview: A section of the Eleme Local Government Council secretariat was set ablaze shortly after local government elections.
• Election Results: The APP won 22 of 23 chairmanship positions and 314 of 319 councillorship seats.
• Political Response: The PDP has rejected the election outcome and plans to challenge it in court.
• Governor’s Action: Newly elected council chairmen were sworn in by Governor Fubara amidst the ongoing political tensions.

A section of the Eleme Local Government Council secretariat in Rivers State has been set on fire, just days after the recent local government elections, in which the Action Peoples Party (APP) secured a significant victory.

Reports from Channels TV indicate that the newly elected chairman, Brian Gokpa, arrived at the council secretariat with his councillors and supporters only to find that several buildings had been engulfed in flames. The outcome of the elections has raised concerns about the potential for escalating violence in various councils across the state. As of now, the police have not issued any statements regarding the incident.

Political Tensions and Reactions

In the wake of the elections, the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has rejected the election results, labeling the process as an exercise in futility. The PDP has announced its intention to contest the results in court.

During the elections, the APP emerged victorious, claiming 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, while the Action Alliance candidate secured the remaining seat. Additionally, the APP won 314 of the 319 available councillorship positions across the 23 local government areas.

On Sunday, Governor Fubara officially sworn in the newly elected council chairmen. Following a shift in loyalty from the PDP to the APP, Fubara’s supporters have aligned themselves with the victorious party. Kenneth Yowika, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, reiterated the party’s commitment to legally contest the election results.