Governor Fubara’s Rivers State is currently facing heavy protest from members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was a normal Thursday morning in Rivers, when the protesters decided to make their moves.

Via this protest, members of the APC and PDP seek to air their displeasure against the scheduled local government election in the state.

Yes, this crisis is all about the local government chairmanship and councillorship elections set to be held in the state.

This episode of drama in Rivers State began when the state government led by Siminalaya Fubara, announced October 5 as the date of the elections.

The Clash

While the leading PDP and APC are entangled in court cases as a result of internal crisis, the All Peoples Party (APP) has positioned itself as the party to win the local government elections.

In the PDP, the political crisis between Governor Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, led to an inconclusive state congress.

Things escalated when each of the factions held their congresses and elected their state executives.

Each of the Wike and Fubara factions has also gone to court on which faction holds the leadership of the state’s PDP chapter.

While the national leadership of the PDP has yet to bring the two political gladiators to agree to the path of peace, none of the factions may contest in the local government elections following court judgments.

More Crisis

The main opposition APC also are entangled in a leadership crisis, between the faction led by Emeka Beke and the faction led by Tony Okocha.

Beke-led faction sent a message to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He told the electoral umpire that they would participate in the October 5 election.

According to Beke, Governor Fubara’s insistence that the election must be held on October 5 as against a court judgement in favour of Okocha’s led faction was in line with a Supreme Court’s ruling.

It is often said “when two elephants fight, the grass suffers”, however, in this case, the reverse is the case.

While the two main political parties fight for leadership, most of the caretaker chairmen in the state saw an opportunity for themselves.

As we speak, they have picked forms for the election under the APP.