Rivers Votes 2025: Who Becomes Next Chairman in Bonny LGA

In less than 24 hours, the people of Rivers State will troop out again to vote in the local government elections billed for Saturday, August 30, 2025, regardless the atmosphere of illegality surrounding the polls. The outcome of the polls will determine how the current vacant seats of chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors are filled.

Given the chequered state of things in Rivers State engendered by the illegal declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu, the people of the State are eager to end it all by voting in the polls irrespective of whether it is lawful or not. This has seen the enthusiasm displayed across the State towards the election.

In Bonny LGA in particular, the development paradigm that was beginning to see the light of day by now defunct administration of Anengi Claude-Wilcox is one that the people want to resume as quickly as possible. Years after the Edward Pepple led administration, it was a beacon of hope to see her activate the mechanism of focused development.

With the array of candidates lined up to seek the votes of the people, it appears Bonny may not have lost out altogether after Claude-Wilcox left. In tow for the polls are a technocrat; Abinye Blessing Pepple, activist; Prince Jeminimiema Tonye, politician; Alali Hart, and entrepreneur, Lawrence Allison.

Though checks by Kristina Reports indicate so far that Pepple is the only candidate campaigning so far, we shall look closely at the profiles and level of acceptability of each of the candidates that could swing votes their way on Saturday during the polls.

Abinye Blessing Pepple

Abinye Blessing Pepple, who is the chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Bonny LGA, had earlier represented Bonny State Constituency in Rivers State House of Assembly between 2015 and 2023 where he served as Chairman, House Committee on Power.

Born on Friday, December 9, 1977 into the Jack-Wilson Pepple Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, he attended Government School, Bonny, Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS). And later Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), where he bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.

He is happily married with three children and also holds the revered title of Amasenibo of Bonny Kingdom.

Aside sponsoring four bills which were later passed into law, Pepple, who trained as a fire fighter, lobbied and got approval for the construction of a fire station in Bonny, and the popular Agaja Market.

He also saw to the construction of a secretariat for the National Union of Bonny Students (NUBS), as well the payment of bursary to several tertiary education students in his constituency. He also funded the registration of several young people for universal tertiary education examination (UTME) and senior secondary school certificate examinations (SSCE) in his constituency.    

In the wake of the fracas between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, the APC flagbearer has been credited with sustaining the factions loyal to Wike in both the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bonny LGA.  

Political pundits project him to win at least 60% of the votes come Saturday. They premise their position on his wide acceptability among the youths, his non-confrontational approach to Politics, alignment with traditional institution in Bonny.

They also point at the clarity of his value propositions which include revamping the educational system, fully activating an emergency management system for the LGA, embarking on urban renewal drive to reface Bonny Island, addressing flooding challenges by fixing the drainage system, and assuring security by collaborating with the security agencies to develop a security management system for the LGA, among others.

The projection for him is that Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 12 are most likely to give him average of 40 votes given his acceptability and the influence of his staunch allies and supporters in those areas.

For instance, it is expected that a chunk of votes from Brown House and a sprinkle from Attoni and Tobin will go his way, in favour of his running mate, Ibinyefagha Alabere, whose marital family are an integral part of the Finima Community, which is Ward 5.

Prince Jeminimiema Tonye

Prince Jeminimiema Tonye, who is the chairmanship candidate for Labour Party (LP), is the pioneer and immediate past Speaker of the Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly (RSYLA).

Born on Monday, April 15, 1974, Tonye, who hails from the Beresiri Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, and is married with seven children, attended Community Primary School, Kalaibiama, Unity College, Base Comprehensive College and University of Jos. He had also been conferred with honorary doctorate degrees in Leadership and Local Government Administration, and in Conflict Resolution by the Institute of Leadership, Manpower and Management Development, and Minnesota Ministers Association University USA in conjunction with Antioch Bible College Nigeria.

An advocate for youth empowerment, infrastructural growth, and social transformation across Rivers State, he has a strong following amongst the youths and other strata of the Rivers’ society, including political stalwarts across party lines.

He has stridently driven his vision of youth emancipation and empowerment across various political dispensations, and has seen the spread of the State Youth Leaders Assembly to different parts of the State thus giving voice to the youths to participate in governance and development.

Dr. Jeminimiema’s campaign is built around an eight-point agenda designed to deliver tangible change within a single three-year tenure. He passionately believes that one dedicated term can be enough to transform the developmental trajectory of Bonny LGA.

His acceptance level from ward to ward is hard to ascertain as several of the key stalwarts of the RSYLA are involved with other political camps in different LGAs. Checks by Kristina Reports could not identify any political structure loyal to him in either the urban or riverine aspects of Bonny LGA.

He rating however on the street is high with many latching on to his declaration of seeking a single tenure and to be judged by that. From all indications, he is most likely to top the chart in his home area, Wards 11 and 12, and scramble maybe an average of 20% of the votes from the rest 10 wards.

Alali Tamunoimim Hart

The chairmanship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) for Bonny Local Government Area, Alali Tamunoimim Hart hails from Oloma Community and is of the Hart Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom.

A community-focused politician, Hart previously served on the Caretaker Committee (CTC) of Bonny LGA led by Anengi Claude-Wilcox, wherein he participated in day-to-day administration and stakeholder engagement across the LGA.

Prior to that, he was the Secretary of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the LGA and has been involved in grassroots mobilization, and is presently etching his campaign on responsive local governance and accountability, youth and women empowerment initiatives, and sustainable infrastructural development and community services in Bonny.

Checks by Kristina Reports show he has very low street credibility and is hardly recognizable by name, save among political party supporters across various wards. Whether with the split in both the two major parties, APC and PDP, he would be able to garner sympathy votes from his erstwhile party members who may not be happy with goings-on in their parties is a discussion for another day.

It is apparent that he would face stiff opposition in his own ward with one of Abinye Pepple staunchest allies, Kingsley Jumbo, who is also contesting for councillorship from the same ward and is widely accepted given his performance in the Bonny Legislative Assembly while he was there in the previous political dispensation.

He may garner as much as 10% of the votes from across the other wards if he works extremely within the next 12 to 18 hours before the polls kick off. Right now, political pundits are hard put to place his fate in the polls.

Some opine that his running on another party’s platform maybe his undoing including the reality now that members and supporters of the previous administration who may have helped with their votes would not be participating in the polls as their leader and Governor of the State had reportedly instructed all his supporters to stay off the elections.

Lawrence Tamunotonye Allison

Lawrence Tamunotonye Allison, popularly known as ‘Larry’ will be flying the flag of the Action Alliance (AA) in Bonny Local Government Area on Saturday, August 30, 2025 where his popularity will be tested again having attempted two governorship elections on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2025 and Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2019 without success at the primaries.  

Born into the Nwaoju Allison Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, he attended Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt, from there to other educational institutions Kristina Reports was yet to be furnished with. He is married with children.

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that he had a stint with the State Security Service (SSS) before making a foray into business wherein he established Galaxy Group Limited before delving into politics.

Larry Allison, who holds certifications in Information Technology Infrastructure Library and is an Hewlett Packard-accredited integration specialist, with over 20 years of experience in software development, aims to bring modern governance to Rivers State.

His campaign centres on shared prosperity through infrastructure, education, healthcare, and employment opportunities as well as youth engagement and grassroots development.

Kristina Reports checks indicate that he is hardly recognizable on the street except for those who know him as a holder of the Bonny Kingdom revered title of Amaopusenibo. So is his rating on the political turf.

Kristina Reports could not identify any political structure loyal to him in any of the political parties in Bonny LGA and political pundits are hard put to express any optimism about him winning even a polling unit.

On the other hand, his kinsmen are hopeful that he may pull some stunts in wards 2 and 3 as well as in Oloma and other aspects of the LGA where sympathies abound for him.