Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the conduct of the Rivers State Local Government elections, calling for outright rejection of the exercise, which he described as a “travesty of democracy.”
The election, conducted under the supervision of the state’s Military Administrator, Ibas Ibok, has continued to generate controversy, with opposition figures and stakeholders questioning its credibility.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, Atiku said the process was not only flawed but also an assault on the principles of elective democracy.
“The local government election conducted by the occupation government in Rivers State is an awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy,” Atiku declared.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of subverting democratic norms in its quest for political dominance.
“By the shameful and shambolic manner in which the occupation government went ahead to conduct local government elections in Rivers State, it is clear that the ruling APC party is not leaving anyone in doubt that it is prepared to throw caution to the wind in order to achieve an inordinate political advantage,” he said.
Atiku urged Nigerians, the international community, and democratic institutions to pay attention to what he described as “a dangerous curve” the Bola Tinubu-led administration was steering the country towards.
He further called on opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the outcome of the election, stressing that the Military Administrator had “absolutely no legitimacy” to preside over such a crucial democratic exercise.
“In the same breath, I wish to share my unflinching solidarity with the good people of Rivers State, who are currently victims of political brigandry to a power cabal which is bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost,” he added.
The Rivers election remains a flashpoint in the state’s deepening political crisis, with growing calls for legal and political redress.
