THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, boasted on Saturday, August 30, that the state of emergency declared in Rivers State would expire on September 18.
Wike said he was optimistic that with the conduct of the Rivers State Local Government elections, the end of emergency rule in the coastal state was imminent.
He spoke on Saturday in Rumepirikom, Ward 9, Unit 007, Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of the state after voting in the local government elections.
He told journalists after casting his vote that with the elections conducted, the coast was clear for the state of emergency to be lifted, since both the local and state governments had elected representatives in place.
“I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire, and that would mean that the state governor and state assembly will come back to their job, and we will have a government at the grassroots level,” Wike stated.
Wike, the immediate past governor of the state, commended the conduct of the elections and described it as peaceful.
He expressed delight that people identified with the elections and noted that there had been no reports of violence or ballot box snatching, adding that electoral materials were available, and voters were casting their ballots, which he said showed that the elections were peaceful.
“Of course, we are concerned [about low turnout], but people are trooping out. Before the elections close, you will see the number of persons [increased]. So, we are very happy that, at the end of the day, these elections have been conducted very peacefully and successfully,” he said.
The ICIR reported that there was a heavy presence of security across the state, as residents trooped out to participate in the elections across the state.
The polls are being conducted in all 23 council areas, covering 319 wards and 6,866 polling units.
The polls are taking place under emergency rule, with Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired naval chief, serving as sole administrator of the state following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, a professor, in March.
Fubara was suspended amid a political crisis between him and his predecessor, Wike.
The election is coming six months after the Supreme Court voided the October 2024 polls earlier conducted by RSIEC under Fubara’s leadership.
Analysts say today’s elections carry significant political weight, as the results could influence the state’s direction ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
A reporter with the ICIR
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