In a dramatic turn of events, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State chapter, Allwell Ihunda, narrowly escaped harm as protesting youths chased him along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Tuesday.
Ihunda, who serves as the outgoing Chairman of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, was en route to the council secretariat accompanied by aides and security personnel when the incident unfolded.
Upon arriving at the council secretariat, Ihunda alighted from his vehicle only to be confronted by a group of youths blocking the entrance. The situation quickly escalated as the youths began shouting and chasing Ihunda, attempting to catch hold of him. See the video
In a swift response, Ihunda’s security details intervened, preventing the youths from reaching their principal by firing shots into the air to disperse the crowd. Amidst the chaos, Ihunda managed to jump into a black SUV, which sped away with his aides in pursuit, while the youths continued their aggressive behavior.
Two other vehicles, including a white van believed to belong to Ihunda’s aides, followed closely behind, while the youths hurled insults at him.
Amidst the commotion, some of the youths were heard shouting, “That is him, Allwell. Chase him. Who is he? Look at him, Mayor is running. Chase him. Are you mad? God punish you. Don’t run, come, you will see pressure. We are not afraid of you. You are mad. Thunder will fire you.”
Despite efforts by Ihunda’s security personnel to calm the youths, their attempts were unsuccessful as the protestors continued to express their anger and frustration.
This incident comes against the backdrop of a contentious political climate in Rivers State. The state ALGON had previously declared their intention not to vacate office after the expiration of their tenure on June 17. The local government chairmen, who were elected under the administration of former governor Nyesom Wike, based their decision on an amendment to the local government law passed by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly. This amendment extends the tenure of the council chairmen by six months due to the current Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s failure to conduct local government elections.
The relationship between Fubara and his predecessor’s loyalists, including the 27 lawmakers led by Amaewhule, has been strained. The political tension intensified following an attempt to impeach Fubara last year, exacerbating the crisis within the state.
In a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, Governor Fubara addressed the ongoing situation, directing the heads of local government administration to assume control of council affairs from Wednesday, June 19, pending further directives.
