Pius Nsabe
The Rivers State Local Government (LG) elections held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, have ignited a firestorm of controversy. According to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) swept 20 out of the 23 local government areas, leaving only three for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At first glance, the results suggest an overwhelming mandate. Yet beneath the surface lies a storm of allegations: voter intimidation, compromised security agencies, ballot stuffing, and widespread apathy.
The official narrative presents the outcome as a clean sweep, but voices from across Nigeria are raising urgent questions. Did APC truly dominate the Rivers electorate, or was the victory forcefully manufactured?
RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Michael Odey, announced the results with confidence, declaring the APC victorious in nearly every corner of the state. “The elections were free, fair, and credible,” he insisted at a press briefing in Port Harcourt.
Yet on the streets of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, and Opobo-Nkoro, a different story circulates. Residents speak of late arrival of electoral materials, polling stations that never opened, and heavily armed thugs stationed at strategic points. Many voters described the exercise as a “selection, not an election.”
Civil society monitors echoed these concerns. The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) noted that while voting occurred in some wards, “the process was marred by logistical failures and reports of coercion.”
The contradiction between the official declaration and lived reality forms the heart of the dispute: was this democracy in action or democracy in captivity?
No analysis of Rivers politics is complete without understanding the simmering battle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged political godfather, former Governor Nyesom Wike. Their feud has split the PDP and reshaped the state’s political landscape.
For many, the most shocking moment of the election was Governor Fubara losing his own Opobo-Nkoro LGA to the APC. Critics argue this outcome could not have been possible without external manipulation. “How can a sitting governor lose his local government in such a manner?” asked political analyst Ken Uche. “It raises more questions than answers.”
The loss symbolized the deep cracks in Rivers politics, with Wike’s loyalists reportedly backing APC candidates in key areas. What unfolded in Opobo-Nkoro may have been less about voter choice and more about elite power games.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the election as “a charade that mocks the very essence of democracy.” In a statement, he warned:
“The brazen manipulation of local government elections in Rivers State is a dangerous precedent. Nigerians cannot continue to endure elections where the will of the people is subverted by force and compromise.”
Labour Party leader Peter Obi echoed the alarm. He tweeted late Sunday evening:
“Democracy dies when elections become rituals without legitimacy. What happened in Rivers is not a victory for any party, but a setback for our nation. We must insist on credible processes if we truly want a new Nigeria.”
Civil society groups, including the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), expressed dismay, warning that flawed local elections rob grassroots governance of legitimacy. “When councils are captured by fraud, communities suffer,” TMG Chairperson Auwal Rafsanjani stated.
These voices reveal a consensus among Nigeria’s democratic stakeholders: the Rivers LG polls were anything but transparent.
Interviews with residents offer a sobering picture. In Rumuokoro, an elderly voter recounted:
“We came as early as 9 am, but the polling station did not open. Later, we heard results had already been written. Who voted? Certainly not us.”
In Okrika, a youth leader described scenes of intimidation:
“Thugs with machetes stood by the entrance of the ward. People were afraid to come near. Those who managed to vote were openly told who to vote for.”
Across several LGAs, eyewitnesses reported “collation without voting.” Ballot boxes were allegedly seized and transported to private residences before being returned to RSIEC officials.
Such accounts suggest that the election was less about voter preference and more about orchestrated outcomes.
Security presence was heavy across Rivers State, but instead of providing neutrality, many allege the forces were partisan. Opposition figures claim that police officers and other agencies either looked away as thugs disrupted polling or actively shielded them.
A PDP ward chairman in Degema alleged:
“We called the police multiple times when ballot boxes were snatched, but they never came. In some cases, the same officers were seen escorting the boxes away.”
The Nigerian Police Force, however, dismissed such claims, insisting it provided adequate security. But the testimonies from voters and observers cast doubt on these denials.
The Rivers LG polls are not merely a local dispute; they represent a recurring national pattern. Across Nigeria, local government elections often serve as test runs for state dominance, with ruling parties sweeping all available seats. This undermines the credibility of local governance and perpetuates a cycle of illegitimacy.
For Rivers State, the consequences could be particularly severe. With councils seen as illegitimate, governance at the grassroots level risks paralysis. Community development projects, service delivery, and local accountability may all be compromised.
At the heart of the matter lies the central question: was the APC’s landslide an organic victory or a product of coercion? The evidence suggests the latter.
Yes, APC may have gained momentum in Rivers given the PDP split, but the magnitude of its victory—20 out of 23 LGAs—stretches credibility when juxtaposed against reports of intimidation, ballot snatching, and low voter turnout.
For many Nigerians, the optics of Governor Fubara losing his LGA to APC seals the suspicion. What is framed as a “sweep” increasingly looks like a “takeover.”
The Rivers LG polls have left behind a bitter aftertaste, deepening Nigeria’s democratic dilemma. While RSIEC insists on the credibility of its process, the chorus of dissent from citizens, opposition leaders, and civil society paints a damning picture.
Ultimately, the question lingers: did the APC genuinely sweep Rivers, or did it forcefully take it? The answer may never be fully known, but one truth stands out—without credible local elections, Nigeria’s democratic future remains fragile.
As Atiku warned, “When the people lose faith in elections, democracy itself becomes endangered.”
The Rivers LG elections may be remembered less as a triumph for the APC and more as a cautionary tale of how power, unchecked, can strangle democracy at its roots.