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By our reporter
Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State, describing them as an outright travesty of democracy and a shameful aberration of Nigeria’s constitutional order.
In a public statement released through his verified channels and widely reported by national media, Atiku criticized the elections, claiming they were conducted by what he described as an “occupation government.” He argued that the entire process lacked legality, transparency, and democratic integrity.
“What happened in Rivers State on Saturday is an awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy,” Atiku said. “It is a shame that an election could hold under an illegal framework and an unconstitutional structure, without any regard for the rule of law.”
The former vice president called on opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the results, stating that the elections were organized by a body that holds no legal authority under the Nigerian constitution.
“The opposition must resist and reject this daylight robbery,” he stated. “The body that purported to have conducted the election is extraneous to our laws and should never have assumed such a role.”
Atiku further claimed the elections, which took place under a controversial state of emergency declared in March 2025 by President Bola Tinubu, represented a dangerous precedent for the country’s democratic system. He argued that what occurred in Rivers State was evidence of federal overreach and political manipulation.
In a direct message to the international community, Atiku urged foreign governments, global democratic institutions, and Nigeria’s international partners to monitor the political developments under the Tinubu administration. He warned that Nigeria’s democratic values are under serious threat.
We must call on well-meaning Nigerians and our international friends and partners to take heed of the dangerous curve that the President Bola Tinubu regime is taking our dear country,” he said. “The people of Rivers State are the latest victims of political brigandage by a power-hungry cabal determined to overturn democratic rights at all costs.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 20 out of the 23 local government areas, while the PDP secured victories in just three: Obio-Akpor, Port Harcourt City, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.
The elections were organized under a sole administrator appointed by the federal government following the declaration of emergency rule earlier this year. Civil society groups and legal analysts have since questioned the constitutionality of conducting elections under such circumstances, arguing that it undermines state autonomy and weakens public trust in electoral processes.
