APC controversial victory in Akpabio’s LG, Rivers post-election violence, other top stories from South-south

This is a review of major events in Nigeria’s south-south region last week

APC controversial victory in Akpabio’s local government area

The week began on Sunday with the announcement of the results of local elections in Akwa Ibom State, where the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state won in 30 local government areas while the major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), won in just one – Essien Udim, where the Senate President Godswill Akpabio hails from.

The declaration of APC candidate Ntiedo Usoro as the winner of the chairmanship election in Essien Udim triggered controversy in Akwa Ibom.

Inyang Atting, a professor and the returning officer for Essien Udim, declared the PDP candidate Enobong Friday the winner on Saturday, with 55,612 votes, while Mr Usoro got 686 votes.

However, the Akwa Ibom election commission swapped the winners in its declaration of winners on Sunday, making the victor the loser.

Etim Etim, a chieftain of the APC in the state, said that Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State saved Mr Akpabio from “a huge political embarrassment” by “allowing” the APC to win the local election in Essien Udim.

We reported that Michael Afangideh, a PDP chieftain and political leader of Essien Udim, felt bitter about the declaration of the APC candidate as the winner of the election. He accused the PDP leadership in the state of using Essien Udim to do “trade by barter” with Mr Akpabio

Meanwhile, Mr Eno pacified the angry PDP members in the area with cash donations and political appointments.

Also, in Akwa Ibom, we reported that Governor Eno on Sunday said her daughter, Helen Obareki, would coordinate the office of the First Lady following the death of his wife, Patience.

Mr Eno said by appointment, Helen is a senior special assistant to the governor and the coordinator, Office of the First Lady. “Let the office keep running. I’ll be comforted,” he added.

The Akwa Ibom first lady died of an undisclosed ailment on 26 September.

Hoodlums set ablaze council secretariats in Rivers

We reported how the crisis in Rivers state caused by the political rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister, on Monday took another twist as hoodlums set ablaze three local government council secretariats in Ikwerre, Emohua, and Eleme, in protest of the local elections held the previous week.

The secretariats were set ablaze a day after Governor Fubara inaugurated the newly elected local government chairpersons and hours after the police announced the unsealing of the 23 council secretariats in the state.

The police had taken over the council secretariats after a violent protest between Messrs Fubara and Wike over its control led to the death of two persons, including a police operative.

Angered over the burning of council secretariats in the state, Chijioke Ihunwo, the chairperson of Mr Wike’s Obio/Akpor local government council, ordered that the minister’s name be removed from a building in the Obio/Akpor council secretariat.

Mr Ihunwo renamed the building after a foremost Ikwerre leader, Obi Wali, a former senator from the area who was murdered over a decade ago.

Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has inaugurated a seven-member panel of enquiry to investigate the post-election violence in the state. The panel has one month to work and submit recommendations to the state government.

Hours after the panel was inaugurated, Mr Wike appeared on national television and blamed Governor Fubara for the attack on the council secretariats. The minister said Mr Fubara’s refusal to “obey the rule of law” was responsible for the attacks.

We reported that Governor Fubara on Thursday suffered a major setback in his political fight with his predecessor as the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the nullification of the state 2024 budget. The appellate court also affirmed pro-Wike lawmakers as the legally recognised legislature in the oil-rich state, dealing a serious political blow to Mr Fubara.

Mr Fubara has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court and also filed for a stay of execution. The governor is insisting that the seats of the defected lawmakers remain vacant.

Life jail for rapist

We reported the destruction of 65 illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta region last week.

Also, within the week, we reported how a Family Court in Calabar, Cross River State sentenced a 47-year-old man to life in prison for raping an eight-year-old girl.

The court ruled on Wednesday that the convict must pay the survivor N1 million in compensation.