Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara urged new local government chairpersons to adopt a calm and calculated approach in office, warning them of potential disruptions. Following a contested election, Fubara emphasized the importance of peaceful governance and called on leaders to focus on grassroots development and community welfare.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called on newly sworn-in local government chairpersons to adopt a patient and calculated approach to governance, urging them to emulate his leadership style.
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, following a local election, the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs and the Action Alliance (AA) secured one. Fubara, who had advised his supporters to join the APP for the election, warned the chairpersons of potential threats, highlighting reports that groups are being mobilized to disrupt their assumption of office on Monday. He advised the new officials to avoid confrontation, emphasizing that the state’s peace is paramount.
Fubara encouraged the officials to focus on fulfilling their promises to the people and to prioritize grassroots development. Addressing ongoing controversies surrounding the elections, which involved conflicting court rulings and challenges from the APC and PDP, he asserted that the elections are now settled and urged everyone to move forward. The Rivers State High Court had recently ruled that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) could use the 2023 voter register, a decision later challenged by a federal court in Abuja that prohibited INEC from providing the register and barred security forces from supporting the election.
Despite these legal hurdles, Fubara insisted that the elections proceed, underscoring his commitment to establishing a stable governance structure in the local governments.
