The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the Rivers State local government elections conducted under the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The ruling overturned an earlier Federal High Court judgment that nullified the council elections.

SaharaReporters previously reported that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) declared the Action Peoples Party (APP) the winner in 22 of the state’s 23 local government areas, with results for Etche Local Government Area and 319 councillorship positions pending further collation.

The election, held across 6,866 polling units with participation from 18 political parties, was initially challenged by the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Federal High Court. The APC alleged violations of the Electoral Act, and the court ruled in its favor.

However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction over the matter and clarified that the Electoral Act does not govern local government elections. Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd), RSIEC Chairman, emphasized the process’s integrity while announcing the results at the commission’s office in Port Harcourt.

The appellate court’s decision reaffirms the validity of the elections and the APP’s sweeping victory across the state.