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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has fixed August 30, for the conduct of the local government elections.
Chairman of the RSIEC, Michael Odey, announced the date at stakeholders’ meeting at the commission’s head office in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
RSIEC chairman assured the stakeholders that the elections would be free, fair and credible, stressing that Rivers people would witness the best local government polls.
The RSIEC had, at the weekend, invited relevant stakeholders to the general meeting ahead of the polls.
At the meeting were the leaders of registered political parties, traditional rulers, security agencies, religious bodies, professional organisations, the media, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, community-based groups and the general electorate.
Odey noted that the highlight of the engagement would be the formal unveiling of the revised timetable and guidelines for the 2025 LGA elections in Rivers State.
This move comes months after the Supreme Court, on February 28, nullified the local government elections earlier conducted by the RSIEC on October 5, 2024.
The apex court ruled that the process violated key provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 150 (3), which mandates a 90-day notice to stakeholders and proper release of the voters register. The All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed a legal action to challenge the election, citing these irregularities.
Before the Supreme Court’s judgement, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters register and restrained the police from providing security support for the election.
Though the Court of Appeal later vacated the order on jurisdictional grounds, the Supreme Court reinstated the ruling, thereby invalidating the entire election and removing all elected chairmen across the state’s 23 local government areas.
The political situation in Rivers State escalated further when President Bola Tinubu, on March 18, declared a state of emergency in the state.
President Tinubu announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and the State House of Assembly.
He appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) as sole administrator to oversee governance during the emergency period.
The sole administrator, on assumption of office, dissolved and reconstituted the leadership of the RSIEC and local government councils.
