As the news of the decision of the Court of Appeal upholding the outcome of the local government election held in Rivers State makes the rounds, Rivers people are taking to various platforms to celebrate the victory of Governor Siminalayi Fubara over his opponents.
In Etche where stakeholders on Thursday met at the instance of the Local Council Chairman, Uzodinma Nwafor to chart a way forward, there were jubilations within working class families as well as supporters of the Rivers Governor soon as the news broke.
The story was the same in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt, Akuku Toru, Opobo/Nkoro, Asari Toru, Khana, Gokana, Eleme, Ahoada West and Omuma to mention a few local government areas.
People quietly celebrated the victory of Governor Siminalayi Fubara over Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and his faction of the APC which is led by Tony Okocha.
The Appellate Court which is deciding a number of cases emanating from Rivers State declared that the local government election conducted a few weeks ago by the State Independent Electoral Commission was in order.
Theodore Georgewill, one-time Chairman of Akuku Toru Local Govenment Council described the ruling as “victory of light over darkness.”
“It is a welcome development “, Georgewill said,”The judgment has given legitimacy to the elected local government councils.
Said Chief Ambrose Ibokwe Nwuzi, leader of the Simplified Movement in the Etche Local Government Area, “I feel good about the judgment. It has settled the matter once and for all.” .
On Thursday, the Court of Appeal revoked the decision of a Federal High Court which ruled against the conduct of the council election.
It held that the provisions of the electoral act were not applicable to the conduct of the local government election in Rivers State.
It also held that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction in entertaining the matter.
Recall that the All Progressives Congress, APC, had gone to court to challenge the process which produced council chairmen and councillors in the State.
The decision of the Court of Appeal which threw out the judgment of the Federal High Court is being hailed as a significant victory for the Fubara administration.
Pro-Wike forces have thrown several spanners in the works in an effort to derail the aspirations and focus of the Rivers State Government.
One year after, Sim as the Governor is popularly called has remained standing, much to the consternation of the opposition.
Georgewill said, “we are celebrating this landmark victory recorded at the Court of Appeal” while Nwuzi noted, “God is waging a great battle in Rivers State in order to frustrate people with evil intentions.”
Fubara had despite spurious moves to abort the council elections called the bluff of the Police and gone ahead to rely on the power and the political will of the Rivers people to conduct a crisis-free council election.
The Rivers Governor had told the Inspector General of Police a few days to the election, “I have respected you enough,..enough is enough”.
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He vowed he would die a martyr rather than succumb to attempts by enemies of the Rivers people to halt the council elections.
The record shows that the Action Peoples Party (APP) cruised to victory, sweeping 22 out of 23 local government chairmanship seats.
Voting took place in 6,866 units in the State while a total of 18 registered political parties participated in the exercise organised by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
The Port Harcourt Telegraph understands that the State Commissioner for Finance was in Abuja to take part in the FAC meeting.
Fubara had assured workers that he would pay their salaries, saying they should not be bothered about the antics of those who are engaged in battle against him.
The way things are, Fubara’s assertion on the day of thanksgiving that workers would be paid no matter what happens may prove correct.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph has apologized for a mix up while uploading this report. It said the copy initially uploaded was not the edited version meant for publication.
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