The Rivers State local government elections held on October 5, 2024, were marred by explosions and gunfire, raising concerns about the safety of voters and election officials. Despite the disruptions, the Action Peoples Party (APP) emerged victorious, securing 22 chairmanship positions across the state.
Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), announced the results, confirming that the APP candidates had won by a majority of valid votes in two-thirds of their wards. However, the commission withheld the results for Etche Local Government Area due to its size, which caused delays in the collation process.
Justice Enebeli, speaking from Port Harcourt, expressed satisfaction with the election’s outcome, describing it as “smooth, safe, free, fair, credible, and violence-free.” He praised the resilience of voters, many of whom turned out despite inclement weather.
However, the election was not without incidents. At Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City LGA, heavily armed men stormed the polling unit in 21 patrol vans. Witnesses reported that the men fired tear gas canisters, forcing voters and RSIEC officials to flee. The attackers, some of whom were masked, confiscated election materials and ordered the officials to remove their vests.
A bystander at the scene described the chaos: “People were running in all directions. Tear gas was everywhere. It was frightening.” Despite the severity of the incident, Rivers State police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said she was unaware of the event when contacted.
The tense atmosphere was further heightened by two explosions that rocked the state. The first occurred at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat along Aba Road in the early hours of Saturday. According to Iringe-Koko, a security guard reported hearing a loud bang, followed by the sight of three black Toyota Hilux vans speeding away. The explosion caused significant damage, destroying the gate and shattering windows.
The second blast took place at the Obio/Akpor Local Government secretariat shortly after, where eyewitnesses reported seeing a black Toyota Hilux and a white Sienna minivan pass by before a suspected dynamite was thrown, damaging the roof and generator house.
In response to these explosions, the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit was deployed to both sites. Iringe-Koko confirmed that forensic samples were collected and that an improvised explosive device had been recovered at the APC secretariat. She assured the public that investigations were ongoing to identify the perpetrators and urged residents to remain vigilant.
Amid the violence, some officials maintained optimism about the electoral process. Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Okpara, who cast his vote in Port Harcourt, hailed the election as a “peaceful outing,” despite the challenges faced.
The Rivers State local government elections, though concluded with a decisive APP victory, have left questions about security and the overall integrity of the process. Investigations are expected to continue in the coming days.
