Wike votes in Rivers LG elections

By Ayorinde Oluokun with agency report

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Saturday joined the electorate in Rivers to vote at the ongoing local government elections in the state.

Wike, the immediate past governor of the state, voted around 11: 15 am in Rumepirikom, Ward 9, Unit 007, Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of the State.

The FCT Minister served as the chairman of Obio/Akpo local government for two terms

Meanwhile, some residents of Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers have expressed optimism that the Local Government elections will restore true democracy in the state.

The residents, who made the remark at the polling stations for the LG elections on Saturday, said they believed that the aftermath of the election might be the end of the emergency rule in the state.

As at 8:20 a. m. on Saturday, the residents have gathered at some polling units awaiting the arrival of sensitive/non-sensitive voting materials for commencement of voting.

Oyigbo LGA is made up of 10 wards with over 139 polling units and about 121, 815 registered voters as at 2023 general elections.

The area also has some popular markets like the Eke-Oyigbo general market and the Building materials market which were shut in adherence to the movement restriction order to enable traders participate in the election.

Mr Collins Odili, a traders at the Building materials market said that businesses were shut down including transportation due to the movement restrictions order by the Police, adding, ‘’this is normal during elections in Nigeria.’’

Some electorate said they were moved by robust campaign earlier conducted by the APC Chairmanship candidate, Mr Okechukwu Akara, who visited the area with ten concillorship candidates in his team and an encouraging manifesto.

Mr Timothy Ndudi, a youth leader in Ogboso community, said that Akara, a fresh politician from Okoloma Afam area, would play a unifying role in restoring grassroots democracy and effective local governance.

He expressed optimism that Akara would win the election and would restore that which had eluded the people in the area.

”We believe election materials have arrived the rack centre in Afam, the council headquarters and soon distributions will be made across wards and units.

“For us here at the Village Square Polling Unit (PU), we are ready with our PVCs,” Ndudi said.

In the past, youths engaged in street football exercise on election days, but this election is different as the streets are calm with little movements around polling centres.

According to Mr Peter Ejimofor, a community leader in Izioma area of Oyigbo, the LG election should represent part of an end process to emergency rule and the possible return of all democratic formation in the state.

(NAN