Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has regained control of the Local Government structure as his loyalists who contested elections under the Action Peoples Party (APP) have won all but one of the 23 chairmanship positions.
Chief Election Officer of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, declared the result in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Saturday night.
He said the announcement is suspended in Etche Local Government Area because the collation of results is still ongoing.
According to him, the results for Etche LGA will be declared alongside that of the 319 councillorship seats at a later date.
Wike had temporarily taken control of the local government structure after his loyalists emerged winners of the disputed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress which held last month.
However, not giving up the battle, Fubara directed his loyalists to defect to APP to contest the election.
Apparently realising the influence of state government on LG elections and their outcome, Wike’s men had pulled out of the exercise, which was challenged in court, but Fubara vowed to go ahead.
The election held amid rancour and pockets of violence following withdrawal of the police to provide security.
Enebili said the announcement of Etche, the only Local Government Area where chairmanship result has not been declared, would be made later.
