Atiku Condemns Rivers LG Polls, Urges Opposition to Reject Results
Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the conduct of the just-concluded local government elections in Rivers State, describing the exercise as a sham and an assault on democracy.
The elections, held on Saturday across the 23 local government areas of the state, saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) clinching 20 chairmanship positions, while the PDP secured only three, according to results announced by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Reacting in a post on his official X handle on Sunday, Atiku lambasted the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of manipulating the process to give undue advantage to the APC.
“By the shameful and shambolic manner in which the occupation government went ahead to conduct local government elections in Rivers State, it is clear that the ruling APC party is not leaving anyone in doubt that it is prepared to throw caution to the wind in order to achieve an inordinate political advantage,” the former vice-president said.
Atiku described the polls as “an awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy,” urging opposition parties and civil society groups to reject the results.
The PDP chieftain further accused the ruling party of undermining democratic institutions, warning that such practices could erode public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society organisations, and the international community to take note of what he termed “a dangerous trend of electoral impunity” under the Tinubu-led government.
Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the outcome of the polls, with some opposition leaders in Rivers State also alleging widespread irregularities, voter intimidation, and ballot manipulation.
The Rivers State APC leadership, however, has defended its victory, describing the outcome as a reflection of the will of the people.
