Action Alliance (AA) has clinched the chairmanship of Etche Local Government Area, shaking up expectations in the 2024 Rivers State Local Government Council elections. The AA candidate, Uzodinma Nwafor, was declared the winner of the chairmanship seat, marking a significant offset in what was otherwise a dominant sweep by the Action Peoples Party (APP) across the state.
Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), announced the stunning result during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Sunday, October 6, 2024. Speaking on the outcome, Justice Enebeli described the election as a watershed moment for democracy in Rivers State, noting that the power of the ballot was once again proven to be stronger than the influence of violence. "The ballot paper in the hands of the people is stronger than arms and ammunition," he said, highlighting the credibility of the election process.
After a slight delay in vote collation in Etche Local Government Area, which had been stood down on Saturday, RSIEC completed the process with what Justice Enebeli described as “discrete introspection, impartiality, and electoral justice.” The final tally showed that Uzodinma Nwafor of the AA had secured a two-thirds majority of the lawful votes cast, leading to his declaration as the winner and his return as the duly elected chairman.
Justice Enebeli’s announcement was met with a wave of reactions, as the APP had largely dominated the elections, securing 314 out of the 319 available councillorship positions across the 23 local government areas. The landslide victory by the APP saw other political parties struggling to make significant inroads, with only five councillorship seats going to opposition parties.
The breakdown of results shows that in addition to the AA’s victory in Etche, the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured the councillorship seat for Okrika Ward 3. The Boot Party claimed a seat in Ahoada West, Labour Party (LP) clinched the Ward 3 seat in another LGA, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Young People's Party (YPP) took Ward 3 and Ward 5 seats, respectively, in their areas.
Justice Enebeli emphasized that the election was conducted with transparency, fairness, and inclusivity, devoid of the involvement of police or security agencies. He commended the people of Rivers State for their peaceful conduct during the elections, describing the process as “violence-free and treasured.”
Reflecting on the outcome, Justice Enebeli stated, "If I may say so without any sense of immodesty, the election that took place, conducted by us and the results make a vocal statement to Rivers State and the Nigerian nation that the ballot papers in the people's hand are stronger than arms and ammunition."
Following the declaration of results, Justice Enebeli presented Certificates of Return to the 23 newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen in compliance with Section 59 of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law No. 2 of 2018.
