Federal Capital Teriritory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike looks poised to put his popularity in Rivers State to test today as residents vote in the local government election.

The election is coming just a few weeks to the expiration of the six-month state of emergency imposed on the state in March by President Bola Tinubu.

The minister’s influence had come under serious strain in the political face- off between him and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, whose candidates had swept the LG polls conducted in the heat of the crisis last year.

But the Supreme Court’s judgement that nullified the election, the emergency rule and the reconciliation between Wike and Fubara have evolved a template for another local government poll.

In the run up to today’s polls, Wike’s loyalists and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts defected to the Chief Tony Okocha-led All Progressivss Congress (APC) and picked APC forms to contest the elections.

The loyalists emerged chairmanship candidates of the APC and were screened and cleared by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to contest the election.

Of the 23 local government areas in the state, chairmanship candidates linked to Wike are contesting the election on APC platform in 20 local government areas while three others are running as PDP members.

Candidates linked to Wike in PDP are contesting in Obio-Akpor, the minister’s Local Government Area; Port Harcourt and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni.

Out of the 16 political parties cleared by RSIEC to contest the election, only PDP and the APC candidates were seen campaigning for votes ahead of the polls.

The two parties held the grand finale of their campaigns that attracted mammoth crowd of residents and party stakeholders.

Multiple litigations by aggrieved stakeholders had threatened the election ,sparking fears that the poll could be halted by the court.

A state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state Capital, however, failed to issue an order stopping the election in a suit filed by a lawyer.

Justice Stephen Jumbo, dismissed a motion ex parte filed by a lawyer, one Williams Abayomi-Stanley against President Bola Tinubu, Attorney-General of the Federation, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and its Chairman to stop the election.

Justice Jumbo said it lacked merit but granted a motion.

The judge, however, granted a motion for substituted service on the defendants.

He also directed that the conduct of the August 30th Local Government Council elections should go ahead as scheduled and adjourned till 10th of September, 2025 for hearing on the substantive suit.

A non-governmental organisation, the Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership led by another lawyer, Chizy Enyi, filed a similar suit against the poll.

He named the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, retired Vice-Admiral, Ibok-Ete Ibas, State government, Attorney-General of the state and RSIEC as defendants.

The group, in its originating summons, asked the court to determine whether the Sole Administrator could lawfully and/or validly exercise the duties and powers conferred on the Governor of the State under sections 176(1) and (2), 197 (1) and (3) and 198 of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) as exercised with respect to the appointment of the Board Members of the RSIEC.

They wanted the court to issue an order setting aside the nomination, appointment, constitution and presentation of the purported Board Members of the RSIEC made sometime in May, 2025, by the sole administrator.

They also sought an order of the Court setting aside all actions carried out by the board members of the RSIEC, including the conduct of the Rivers State Local Government elections.

They also wanted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st defendant by himself, privies, agents, assigns, administrators and/or howsoever so named, from interfering or further interfering and usurpation of the exclusive powers.

A last minute effort to stop the poll came from the Emeka Beke-led APC in the state.

It asked the court to stop the exercise.

In a suit filed by Awoala Joybel Emine on behalf of the party’s executives, the faction claimed that candidates published by the RRSIEC were impostors.

The party asked the court to compel RSIEC to recognize candidates nominated by the Emeka Beke-led exco as the authentic APC flag bearers and to nullify any election conducted without their inclusion.

The RSIEC says it is ready for the polls.

The police issued a warning to cultists and troublemakers planning to disrupt the local government elections.

The state police command also restricted human and vehicular movements from Friday midnight to 6pm on the election day.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, said those on essential duties were exempted from the movement restriction.

Adepoju commended the people of the state for their peaceful disposition and understanding since emergency rule began in the area.

Adepoju said all arrangements had been made to ensure a free, fair and peaceful elections adding that all the security agencies would participate in the exercise with the police as the lead agency.

He said: “All materials for the election will be escorted and there will be a robust security for people to exercise their franchise. We will be there for them before, during and after the elections. Those who want to foment trouble should desist because we are not going to take it kindly.

“We have also done the needful to ensure that all cult activities and those that may want to disrupt the peace during the elections have been checked”.

The Sole administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) ordered all government offices to close by 12pm yesterday as part of the preparations for the election.

Ibas in a statement signed by the Acting Head of Service, Dr. Inyang Brown, said the development was to enable civil servants travel to exercise their civic responsibility by casting their votes during the election.

Security agencies in the state yesterday embarked on a show of force to reassure residents of their safety ahead of the local government elections.

The police, army, navy, Navy, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other allied agencies, were seen patrolling the major streets of Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor during the exercise.

The exercise kicked off at the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters on Moscow Road and featured a convoy of patrol vehicles showing their readiness to maintain peace and order during the election.

The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, earlier reeled out comprehensive security measures to ensure a free, fair, and credible exercise.

Under the state of emergency Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu and the state House of Assembly were suspended and an administrator was appointed.(The Nation)