The All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded a major victory in the just-concluded local government elections held across Rivers State on Friday, August 30, 2025. The party won chairmanship seats in 20 out of the 23 local government areas (LGAs), leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with only 3 LGAs.
The election, which was conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), was marked by heavy political interest, following months of tension between the ruling PDP in the state and the growing influence of the APC, especially in the wake of internal party crises.
According to official results released by RSIEC, the PDP won in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGAs—areas traditionally considered as PDP strongholds. These three areas also recorded some of the highest vote counts for the PDP, with Obio/Akpor polling a massive 328,888 votes, followed by Port Harcourt with 235,054 votes, and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni with 51,051 votes.
On the other hand, the APC made strong showings in nearly all other LGAs. In Khana LGA, the party secured 156,027 votes, while in Gokana, it got 96,478 votes. Other key wins include Andoni (126,181 votes), Emohua (115,380 votes), Etche (100,649 votes), and Oyigbo (110,495 votes), showing widespread support across the state.
Below is a summary of some of the APC’s victories:
Bonny LGA – 13,543 votes
Omuma LGA – 38,530 votes
Asari Toru LGA – 56,383 votes
Tai LGA – 70,080 votes
Ikwerre LGA – 62,746 votes
Ahoada West LGA – 84,125 votes
Eleme LGA – 77,452 votes
Akuku Toru LGA – 63,593 votes
Opobo Nkoro LGA – 38,822 votes
Okrika LGA – 82,285 votes
Degema LGA – 61,536 votes
Abua/Odual LGA – 28,755 votes
Ahoada East LGA – 54,509 votes
Ogu-Bolo LGA – 36,374 votes
This outcome is seen by political analysts as a major shift in the state’s political landscape, which has long been dominated by the PDP. The growing influence of the APC, especially in rural and semi-urban LGAs, signals a challenge to the PDP’s long-standing control of Rivers politics.
Some observers have described the APC’s performance as a result of voter dissatisfaction with the current PDP-led administration at the state level, while others believe the party simply capitalized on its growing grassroots network.
RSIEC has declared the election peaceful in most areas, although there were reports of low turnout and logistical challenges in some polling units. No major incidents of violence were officially reported.
With this result, APC now controls the majority of local government councils in Rivers State. This win may boost the party’s momentum ahead of the next general elections, while the PDP is expected to re-strategize following the unexpected outcome.