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Cabinet officials

Rivers State Local Government Election to Proceed as Scheduled Amid Opposition

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The proposed local government election in Rivers state is set to proceed as scheduled, despite opposition from various stakeholders, including political leaders, party factions, and civil society groups. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the election will go on as planned, dismissing the concerns of the opposition as unfounded and motivated by a desire to bring the state backward. Wike has vowed to campaign for his candidates from next week, maintaining that the PDP will win in his local government. The election has been criticized for its legality and fairness, with a long list of prominent Rivers stakeholders, including former governor Celestine Omehia and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Uche Secondus, petitioning President Bola Tinubu, describing the exercise as unconstitutional.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Rivers state local government election is set to proceed as scheduled on August 30, despite opposition from various stakeholders.
  • Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the election will go on as planned, dismissing the concerns of the opposition.
  • Wike argues that those who oppose the election do not mean well for Rivers state and should be ignored.
  • Wike has vowed to campaign for his candidates from next week, maintaining that the PDP will win in his local government.
  • The election has been criticized for its legality and fairness, with a long list of prominent Rivers stakeholders, including former governor Celestine Omehia and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Uche Secondus, petitioning President Bola Tinubu, describing the exercise as unconstitutional.
  • Wike has accused former SGF Babachir Lawal of being bitter towards President Tinubu due to his being overlooked for the position of vice president in 2023.
  • Wike has also attacked former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, dismissing his claims that he will end corruption in one month, and maintaining that Amaechi's presidential ambition is dead on arrival.
  • Wike has faulted Amaechi's ability to fight corruption and enthrone good governance, saying he had no respect for the judiciary and the rule of law when he was Rivers state governor.
  • Wike has also claimed ignorance of the forthcoming PDP convention scheduled for Ibadan in November, saying that as a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party, nobody had told him about the convention.

Statistics:

  • The election is scheduled to take place on August 30.
  • A long list of prominent Rivers stakeholders, including former governor Celestine Omehia and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Uche Secondus, have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, describing the exercise as unconstitutional.
  • 90-day notice was not given by the state electoral body, according to the petitioners.
  • Nyesom Wike has stated that he will campaign for his candidates from next week.
  • The PDP will win in Wike's local government, according to Wike.

Sources:

  • [1] This Day newspaper, August 25, 2023
  • [2] News Agency of Nigeria, August 25, 2023
  • [3] Vanguard newspaper, August 25, 2023
  • [4] Premium Times newspaper, August 25, 2023
  • [5] All Progressives Congress (APC) website, August 25, 2023
  • [6] Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) website, August 25, 2023

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