In a political upset, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has swept through Rivers State’s local government elections, clinching 20 of the 23 chairmanship seats and leaving the once-dominant Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with only three councils.
The results, announced by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on Sunday, mark the first time since the return of democracy in 1999 that the APC has secured overwhelming dominance in the oil-rich state, traditionally considered a PDP stronghold.
RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Michael Odey, who declared the outcome at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, described the polls as largely peaceful, despite reports of mixed voter turnout across the state.
Rural communities recorded enthusiastic participation, while some urban centres such as Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor witnessed patchy crowds at polling units.
According to the final results, APC candidates triumphed in strongholds stretching across Andoni, Khana, Emohua, Etche, Oyigbo, Ikwerre, Gokana, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, and Eleme, among others, consolidating the party’s newfound political weight.
Many of the chairmen-elect are not new to the corridors of local power, with several returning for second terms after serving under the immediate past administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike.
The PDP, which once held sway over all 23 councils, was reduced to victories in only Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.
Notably, Dr. Gift Onyinye Wodo emerged as chairperson in Obio/Akpor with over 328,000 votes, while Sir Allwell Ihunda retained Port Harcourt City with more than 235,000 votes.
Observers say the landslide outcome signals a new phase in Rivers’ politics, where the PDP’s decades-long stranglehold is now visibly weakened.
The absence of other parties in the contest further highlighted the fierce two-horse race that ended in a decisive blow to the PDP.
For the APC, the scale of victory is unprecedented.
For the PDP, it is a sobering moment that highlights the erosion of its grassroots machinery in a state long regarded as its stronghold.
The dust may have settled on the voting, but the aftershocks of this result are only just beginning to reshape the political landscape in Rivers State.
