Obio/Akpor, a densely populated urban LGA and a traditional PDP stronghold (home to former Governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike), saw the PDP candidate emerge victorious amid the APC’s statewide dominance. This win was notable, as it defied the broader trend.
• Chairman Elect: Gift Worlu (PDP)
• Votes Scored: 328,823
• Opponent: The APC candidate (name not specified in announcements) was defeated, but exact vote figures for other candidates were not detailed in official summaries. Obio/Akpor’s result stood out for its high vote tally, which drew mixed reactions—some questioned the turnout given the low participation elsewhere, but Wike defended it by citing historical trends in the LGA, where local elections often see higher engagement due to their community focus.
Someone recently on TV was justifying the election in Rivers, saying in a local government, Obi Akpor, the reason they got over 300,000 votes was that out of the 660,000 registered voters, over 50 percent turned out and voted for the PDP candidate. In the same country where the average voter turnout was 27%.
If you inquire into election trend in Rivers, it must be stated that Rivers hardly get 50% turn out so how come the case of Obi Akpor is different
Inquiring historically,turnout did not exceed 50% in the last two election cycles in Rivers State. The last two cycles refer to the 2019 general elections (presidential/national assembly on February 23, 2019, and gubernatorial/state assembly on March 9/April 3, 2019) and the 2023 general elections (presidential/national assembly on February 25, 2023, and gubernatorial/state assembly on March 18, 2023). Voter turnout is calculated as the percentage of registered voters who actually cast ballots, based on official data from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
2023 Election Cycle
• Presidential and National Assembly Elections (February 25, 2023): Voter turnout in Rivers State was among the lowest in Nigeria, ranking in the bottom five states (alongside Bayelsa, Abia, Oyo, and Lagos). The national turnout was 26.72%, and no state exceeded 40%—Rivers State’s figure was well below 50%, estimated at around 20-25% based on regional trends in the South-South zone (which recorded under 25%). Factors included logistical delays, violence, voter suppression, and apathy following reports of irregularities.
• Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections (March 18, 2023): Turnout remained low, continuing the trend from the presidential phase. Official results showed Siminalayi Fubara (PDP) winning with 302,614 votes, but with approximately 1.7 million registered voters in the state, this implies a turnout of about 18%—far below 50%. Analysts noted persistent issues like fear of violence and disillusionment from the earlier federal polls contributed to this.
2019 Election Cycle
• Presidential and National Assembly Elections (February 23, 2019): Turnout in Rivers State was approximately 38.9%. This was below the national average of 34.75% but still under 50%. Atiku Abubakar (PDP) won the state with 354,036 votes out of about 910,000 cast ballots against roughly 2.3 million registered voters.
• Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections (March 9/April 3, 2019): Due to court-ordered re-runs and violence, turnout was even lower at around 25-30%, with Nyesom Wike (PDP) securing re-election amid widespread disruptions. This was significantly below 50%, affected by insecurity and logistical challenges.
In both cycles, turnout fell short of 50% due to recurring issues like electoral violence, voter apathy, and INEC operational failures. National trends show a decline from over 50% in some states during 2015, but Rivers State has consistently been below that threshold since 2019. No sources indicate turnout exceeding 50% in these cycles for the state.
This is why I say this must be a miracle!