Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why Gift Worlu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 328,823 votes in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area (LGA) election.
Wike stated on Monday during his monthly media parley in Abuja that residents of Obio-Akpor LGA tend to take local elections more seriously than general elections. According to him, councilorship elections are often viewed as community or family affairs, which motivates higher voter turnout.
“The turnout in local government elections is usually higher. Councilorship is like community or family affairs; people take it more seriously than governorship because it directly affects their local communities,” Wike said.
The comments come after the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) victorious in 20 out of the 23 LGAs in Saturday’s chairmanship elections. However, Gift Worlu’s 328,823 votes in Obio-Akpor generated mixed reactions and raised questions about voter turnout.
Wike defended the outcome, citing his personal experience as a former chairman of the local government. “Go and study the history of elections in Obio-Akpor. When I was chairman, the records were clear. Nobody had served two terms before, but I broke that history. People in that area believe in participating actively,” he added.
He urged critics to respect the democratic process and the will of the electorate, emphasizing that the results reflect genuine voter engagement in the local government elections.
