Rivers administrator swears in LG chairmen, urges selfless service
Ibok-Ete Ibas, the administrator of Rivers state, has charged the 23 newly elected local government council chairmen to prioritise selfless service and grassroots development.
He gave the charge while speaking during the swearing-in ceremony at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday.
Ibas urged the chairmen to reject self-interest and embrace transparent, accountable, and reform-driven leadership.
He said the event marked “a pivotal milestone” in Rivers State’s return to democratic governance following the period of political turbulence that necessitated federal intervention.
The administrator stressed that public office must never be treated as personal property.
“This victory is not a prize to be enjoyed. It is a burden to be carried. It is not an entitlement, but a duty. It is not a call to self-interest, but to selfless service,” Ibas declared.
He warned that governance should move beyond patronage politics and instead deliver measurable services that improve lives at the grassroots.
Ibas recalled that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025, after what he described as “a catastrophic breakdown of law and order and the collapse of governance at the local level.”
He praised the peaceful conduct of the August 30 local government elections, describing it as a decisive step toward reinstating constitutional order and a testament to the people’s resilience.
Daily Times reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 20 chairmanship seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured only three.
Announcing the results on Sunday, Michael Ekpai Odey, chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), said the polls were conducted under the supervision of Ibas, the state’s sole administrator.
Suspended governor Siminalayi Fubara lost his Opobo-Nkoro LGA to the APC. He and his supporters were absent during Saturday’s vote.
After casting his ballot, Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), declared that the “coast is clear” for the end of emergency rule in Rivers.
The former governor also described the elections as “largely peaceful” and dismissed reports of voter apathy, as well as concerns over the non-compulsory use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
