President Bola Tinubu called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and political leaders in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law following reports of violence, arson, and vandalism after last Saturday’s local government elections.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu emphasized that political disputes should be resolved through legal channels, stating, “Self-help has no place in a democratic system.” He ordered the police to safeguard public facilities to ensure peace, law, and order in the region.
The statement, titled “President Tinubu decries violence in Rivers, directs police to provide security to local government offices,” follows a tumultuous election in which the Action People’s Party (APP) dominated, winning 314 out of 319 available councillorship seats across the state’s 23 local government areas. The results were announced by Justice Adolphus Enebeli, Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, in Port Harcourt on Sunday. The APP’s victory saw the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party, Social Democratic Party, and Young People’s Party each securing only one seat.
The factions of the Rivers State PDP and APC have rejected the election’s conduct and outcome, claiming that no elections took place on Saturday. The PDP, loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, has vowed to contest the results in court.
Despite the tensions, Governor Fubara has sworn in the newly elected council chairmen for the 23 local government areas, further escalating the situation as supporters from opposing camps have besieged public facilities.
Expressing deep concern over the recent unrest, Onanuga reiterated President Tinubu’s call for political actors to de-escalate tensions and discourage violence among their supporters. He stressed the importance of safeguarding public institutions built with taxpayer funds, saying, “Government facilities must be protected from vandalism.”
The President underscored the need for law enforcement to control the situation, affirming that the judiciary is the appropriate venue for resolving political disputes, especially following 25 years of continuous democracy.
