Some former local government chairmen in Rivers State who were elected into office on October 5, 2024, but were removed by the Supreme Court in February 2025, shunned Saturday’s local council elections.

Meanwhile, The Guardian learned from a reliable source that the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara is currently outside the shores of Nigeria and cannot participate in the council elections.

Some of the former local government chairmen told The Guardian that they are not happy with their untimely removal from office and the suspension of a democratically elected governor, even when the state was not in a chaotic situation.

According to them, they are still mourning the suspension of their principal and waiting for his reinstatement on September 18, 2025.

One of them, who preferred anonymity, said, “We are not participating in the council elections because we are not members of the political party that organised the elections. We are still mourning and waiting for the return of our principal (Fubara). If the emergency rule had been lifted, we would have been happy to participate, but we are not yet pleased.”

“They nullified a democratically held local government election and went on to conduct elections under an emergency regime. Is that right?” he queried.

However, a former chairman, Looloh Lahteh, said the exercise was a welcome development, disclosing that his team supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the polls.

Additionally, the former Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Pygbara, who serves under Fubara, stated that there is nothing wrong with supporting the polls.

He said, “The peace move in our state is a welcome development. So there is nothing wrong with supporting and participating in the elections.

“Though the whole thing came with mixed feelings, all the same, everyone is encouraged to embrace peace for the development of our dear state, and that is what we are doing “ (The Guardian)