The All Progressive Congress (APC) has won all 21 Local Government Chairmanship positions and 239 councilor seats in Kogi during the elections that took place on Saturday.

Ekwutosblog gathered that Mr Mamman Nda-Eri, chairman of KOSIEC, said “APC performed excellently; it cleared all the chairmanship and councillorship positions, leaving nothing to the other 18 political parties that took part in the election.

“The results declared at the headquarters were earlier declared at the various collations centres by the respective Returning Officers.

“As chairman of KOSIEC, I hereby confirm the results earlier collated and returned by the Returning Officers.”

Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and current FCT Minister, has stated that the ongoing crisis within the Rivers State House of Assembly may ultimately require Supreme Court intervention for resolution. The assembly is currently divided into two factions: one loyal to Wike and the other supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

At a luncheon honoring lawmakers aligned with him, Wike expressed confidence that the court would provide a solution to the assembly crisis. This development highlights the deepening rift between Wike and Fubara, with potential implications for the state’s governance and stability.
The rift is believed to have begun shortly after Fubara’s inauguration, with Wike expressing dissatisfaction with the governor’s appointments and decision-making process. One of the key issues fueling the rift is Wike’s perceived marginalization in the Fubara administration.

Wike, who handed power over to Fubara, had expected to maintain significant influence in the state’s politics . However, Fubara’s removal of some Wike-appointed officials and the reversal of certain policies initiated by his predecessor have exacerbated the situation.

The implications of the rift are far-reaching, with potential consequences for the PDP’s unity and electoral fortunes in Rivers State . Wike’s influence in the state’s politics remains significant, and his dissatisfaction with Fubara’s leadership could lead to divisions within the party. Some analysts fear that the rift could create an opening for opposition parties, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), to gain traction in the state.

By Ananda Teresia and Stefanno Sulaiman

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world’s third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues such as corruption that plague the country and to make it more self-sufficient.

The 73-year-old has undergone a remarkable transformation, from being a former military commander facing unproven allegations of rights abuses to sweeping the polls and now leading the country of 280 million people.

Wearing a traditional black hat and navy suit with a woven maroon and golden sarong, Prabowo officially became Indonesia’s eighth president on Sunday morning after he was sworn in during a ceremony at Indonesia’s parliament.

Prabowo, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency twice before, said in a fiery speech to lawmakers he would be president for all Indonesians and challenged the nation to help him face down the country’s problems.

“We must always realise that a free nation is where the people are free,” Prabowo said, at times raising his voice.

“They must be freed of fear, poverty, hunger, ignorance, oppression, suffering,” he said.

Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto and Indonesia’s new Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka react after being inaugurated at the House of Representative building in Jakarta, October 20, 2024. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
© Thomson Reuters

Prabowo, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency twice before, said in a fiery speech to lawmakers he would be president for all Indonesians and challenged the nation to help him face down the country’s problems.

“We must always realise that a free nation is where the people are free,” Prabowo said, at times raising his voice.

“They must be freed of fear, poverty, hunger, ignorance, oppression, suffering,” he said.

Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto claps beside former Indonesian President Joko Widodo during his presidential inauguration at the House of Representative building in Jakarta, Indonesia October 20, 2024. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
© Thomson Reuters

In a wide-ranging speech lasting about an hour, Prabowo said self-sufficiency for food was possible within five years, while also pledging to become self-sufficient in energy.

The new president vowed to eradicate corruption and said that while he wanted to live in a democracy, it must be “polite”.

“A difference of opinion must come without enmity … fighting without hating,” he said.

Prabowo won the Feb. 14 contest with nearly 60% of the vote and has spent the past nine months building a formidable parliamentary coalition.

He was joined in the swearing-in ceremony by his running mate, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 37, the eldest son of outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

GREETING SUPPORTERS

After his speech, Prabowo wore a baseball cap and waved through a car sunroof as he made his way to the presidential palace, passing thousands of flag-waving supporters thronging Jakarta’s streets in a festival-like atmosphere.

Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto is sworn in during his presidential inauguration at the House of Representative building in Jakarta, October 20, 2024. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
© Thomson Reuters

Flower boards outside the palace either congratulated Prabowo and Gibran or thanked Jokowi for his decade of service.

Jokowi supporters are also attending the celebrations to bid farewell to Indonesia’s outgoing leader.

Anneta Yuniar, a bystander who had excitedly waved at Jokowi’s motorcade as it slowly made its way past supporters before the ceremony, said she would miss Jokowi but that Prabowo was a strong leader.

“Prabowo will continue the development that Jokowi started. There’s continuity. It’s what I want,” she said.

Jokowi has left an indelible mark on the nation of 280 million, presiding over a period of strong economic growth and massive infrastructure development.

Critics also say, though, his rule has been marked by a rise in old-time patronage and dynastic politics, and they warn about diminished integrity in courts and other state institutions.

Indonesia’s new President Prabowo Subianto is congratulated by outgoing President Joko Widodo on the day of his presidential inauguration, at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta, Indonesia October 20, 2024. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
© Thomson Reuters

Indonesian police and military have put in place strict security measures, deploying at least 100,000 personnel across the city, including snipers and anti-riot units.

Prabowo is expected to meet with foreign dignitaries, including a number of heads of state, later on Sunday at the presidential palace, said Hasan Nasbi, the head of the presidential communications organisation.

China sent Vice President Han Zheng to the inauguration, while the delegation from the United States is being led by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

President-elect Prabowo Subianto waves to journalists as he leaves his residence on the day of his inauguration, in Jakarta, October 20, 2024. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
© Thomson Reuters

Prabowo also touched on foreign policy during his speech, saying Indonesia was non-aligned on the global stage, but that he stood in support of the Palestinian people and said Jakarta was ready to send more aid to Gaza.

During his campaign, Prabowo billed himself to voters and investors alike as the “continuity candidate”.

Past allegations against Prabowo of involvement in the kidnapping of student activists and human rights abuses in Papua and East Timor, however, have also raised concern about Indonesia’s trajectory of democracy, human rights advocates say.

Indonesia’s new Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is sworn in during his inauguration at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta, October 20, 2024. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
© Thomson Reuters

Prabowo has always denied the allegations that led to his dismissal from the military in 1998, the same year Indonesia broke free from the decades-long authoritarian rule of former President Suharto.

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Stanley Widianto , Gayatri Suroyo and Fransiska Nangoy; Writing by Idrees Ali; Editing by Tom Hogue)