The Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and orderly conduct of Saturday’s local government elections, describing the exercise as a decisive step toward restoring full democratic governance at the grassroots.
Vice Admiral Ibas, who monitored the polls across several local government areas, commended both voters and election officials for their conduct, which he said created a calm and secure atmosphere for the exercise.
His monitoring tour took him to the Emohua Council Secretariat, Okporowo/Ogbakiri community, Igbu Ogbo village in Ahoada East, and Ogbunuabali town in Port Harcourt City, where he observed the proceedings and interacted with citizens.
Speaking with reporters in Port Harcourt, the State Administrator praised the voter turnout and the serenity at polling units, noting that they were strong indicators of Rivers people’s eagerness to reclaim and participate in grassroots governance.
“I am very happy with what I have witnessed today. The process has been notably peaceful, from the significant turnout to the orderly conduct of both voters and election officials. I am confident that at the end of the day, we will have a credible set of results that we will all be proud of as a state,” he said.
Ibas further revealed that situation reports from all twenty-three local government areas confirmed his observations of a smooth, credible, and incident-free exercise.
“Generally, the situation has been calm and seamless across the state. We have not received any major negative reports, which is a testament to the collective desire for peace and normalcy,” he added.
Emphasizing the importance of the election, Vice Admiral Ibas said the people of Rivers State had shown their strong desire to elect legitimate leadership they could identify with at the local level.
“Certainly, all indigenes of Rivers State want and deserve grassroots leadership they can call their own. That is what this process represents,” he explained. “For me, facilitating this foundational tier of democracy is a core objective of my mandate: to put the state back on its stable, democratic path and to empower its people.”
The Rivers State Government described the successful conduct of the polls as a reaffirmation of the people’s commitment to peace, stability, and democratic renewal.
