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| Ibas administers oath to newly elected chairmen. |
The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), on Saturday formally sworn in the 23 newly elected chairmen of the state’s local government councils. The ceremony took place at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The chairmen received their certificates of return from the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission. The certificates were handed over at the RSIEC office before the swearing-in.
RSIEC announced the winners of the local government polls at its headquarters in Port Harcourt. The commission released a full list of chairmen-elect and issued certificates after declaring results.
The All Progressives Congress won 20 of the 23 local government chairmanships. The Peoples Democratic Party won the remaining three, according to the official count.
The election was held across thousands of polling units and hundreds of wards. Officials said the vote covered 6,866 polling units in the state’s 319 wards.
The swearing-in followed the formal issuance of certificates. Chairmen-elect moved from the RSIEC auditorium to the Government House for the oath. The handover and oath took place on the same day.
RSIEC’s chairman, Dr. Michael Odey, led the announcement of results at the commission campus. The commission listed winners for both chairmanship and councillorship slots.
Officials said the All Progressives Congress also won most councillorship posts. Reports indicate APC took 20 councils, while PDP secured three. No other party featured prominently in the results.
The Rivers State administrator, Ibok Ibas, described the exercise as peaceful when he visited voting areas. He visited several localities, including Emohua, Ahoada East, and Port Harcourt, to monitor voting.
Security officials were present at polling centres and at the Government House during the swearing-in ceremony. Organizers said the presence aimed to keep the process orderly.
Some winners are returning chairmen who previously served under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike. RSIEC’s published list shows a mix of incumbents and new entrants.
The exercise replaced administrators who had been appointed to run some councils earlier in the year. RSIEC’s certificates formalised the transfer from interim administrators to elected officers.
Officials at RSIEC confirmed there were no major disruptions that halted voting across the wards. They said the process moved to result collation centres after polls closed.
Electoral observers and local media reported that vote counting concluded at RSIEC before certificates were prepared. The commission then invited winners to collect their documents.
After receiving certificates, the chairmen-elect took their oaths and were led into their new roles by the Administrator. The state’s official schedule set the swearing-in to follow certification.
The list of chairmen-elect includes names from across the 23 local government areas. RSIEC published the full list alongside the certificates of return. Media outlets reproduced that list in full.
Voter turnout was described as varied across wards. Some polling units reported brisk voting, while others saw modest turnout. RSIEC said the overall process proceeded smoothly.
Officials noted the exercise included both the chairmanship and councillorship contests. Winners were declared for both tiers and the commission issued certificates for each successful candidate.
Political parties accepted some results and disputed others in isolated statements. Where disputes arose, the commission outlined legal channels for contesting results.
The Administrator received the certificates of return and presided over the oath for each chairman-elect. The ceremony was brief and followed standard swearing-in procedures.
Local officials said the newly sworn chairmen will assume duties immediately. The transfer of authority took effect after the oath and the formal handover of documents.
The results mark a major shift in local council control in Rivers State. Media tallies show APC dominance in this round of local council elections.
RSIEC said it will keep public records of the election outcome on its official site. The commission urged stakeholders to use legal channels for any complaints.
Authorities also said efforts will start soon to brief the new chairmen on council operations and procedures. State officials scheduled orientation sessions and handover meetings.
The swearing-in completes the cycle from voting, to results, to certification, and to oath. The newly sworn chairmen now hold the legal mandate to run their councils.