Allwell Ihunda, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Rivers State and outgoing Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, narrowly escaped an attack by protesting youths on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, as Ihunda attempted to enter the council secretariat accompanied by aides and security details.
Upon alighting from his vehicle, Ihunda encountered a group of youths blocking the entrance to the council. The situation quickly escalated as the youths began shouting and chasing Ihunda, who managed to race back to his car. His security team intervened, shooting into the air to disperse the crowd, allowing Ihunda to jump into a black SUV and speed away, with a white van and another vehicle following.
The youths hurled abuses at Ihunda, expressing their anger and frustration. Despite efforts by his security team to calm the situation, the protesters remained aggressive, questioning why Ihunda was running.
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Tension Grips Rivers State as Local Government Succession Crisis Sparks Youth Protests and Security Vigilance
This confrontation follows the refusal of Rivers State ALGON members to vacate office after their tenure expired on June 17. The local government chairmen, elected under former Governor Nyesom Wike, cited an amendment law by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly that extended their tenure by six months due to the current Governor Siminalayi Fubara's failure to conduct local government elections.
Governor Fubara, facing political turmoil and having survived an impeachment attempt last year, directed the heads of local government administration to take over council affairs starting Wednesday, June 19, pending further directives. The political crisis in the state continues to deepen as factions loyal to different political leaders clash over governance issues.
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