Former Vice-President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has described the local government elections conducted in Rivers State as “an awful absurdity and a travesty of the very notion of elective democracy.”

PUNCH Online had reported that the All Progressives Congress won 20 of the 23 local government areas in Saturday’s Chairmanship and Councillorship elections.

However, the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, won only three LGAs in the poll conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

In a post on X on Sunday, Atiku criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the manner the elections were conducted.

“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.

He called on Nigerians, the international community, and partners of the country to pay attention to what he described as a “dangerous curve that the President Bola Tinubu regime is taking our dear country.”

Atiku also appealed to opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the elections.

“I will also call on all opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the local government election on the premise that the occupation government that conducted the exercise is extraneous to our laws, with absolutely no legitimacy to undertake such a crucial and sensitive assignment,” he stated.

Atiku concluded by expressing solidarity with the people of Rivers State, who he said are “currently victims of political brigandry to a power cabal which is bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost.”

(The PUNCH)