PORTHARCOURT: Residents of Rivers State will on Saturday head to the polls to elect local government chairmen and councillors across 6,866 polling units in 319 wards.
The exercise comes six months after the Supreme Court nullified the October 5, 2024, local government elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for violating provisions of the Electoral Act.
The election is widely seen as a political litmus test that could influence the balance of power ahead of the 2027 governorship contest in the oil-rich South-South state.
Addressing residents in a pre-election broadcast, RSIEC Chairman Michael Odey urged eligible voters to turn out peacefully and assured them of adequate security and timely delivery of materials to urban, rural, and riverine communities.
Odey said a joint operation with the police and other security agencies would ensure a safe exercise, with movement restricted between 12 a.m. and 6 p.m. on election day.
To reassure voters, security agencies on Friday staged a show of force in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs.
The convoy included the Nigerian Police, Army, Navy, NSCDC, FRSC, and other allied agencies, signaling readiness to maintain peace before, during, and after the polls.
Police Commissioner Olugbenga Adepoju reiterated that massive deployment of personnel and logistics was in place to guarantee a credible exercise.
The polls are taking place under an emergency administration headed by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on March 19, 2025, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the House of Assembly after a bitter political standoff with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Although Tinubu later brokered reconciliation between Fubara and Wike, political divisions remain sharp, with both men wielding influence in their home bases of Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre respectively.
Observers Raise Concerns
Civil society groups and legal experts have questioned the credibility of the polls, noting that the state electoral body is being supervised by an appointee of the sole administrator.
Legal practitioner Chetam Nwala described the election as not in the best interest of Rivers people,” while Jake Epelle, CEO of TAF Africa, argued that the arrangement between PDP and APC candidates was a concoction designed to mislead voters.
In its ruling that voided the 2024 elections, the Supreme Court held that RSIEC violated the Electoral Act by continuing voter registration after announcing an election date. Justice Jamilu Tukur described the action as flagrant disobedience and declared the process null and void.
The apex court also barred the CBN, Accountant General, and other agencies from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government until it complied fully with court orders.
As Rivers residents prepare to cast their votes, the outcome of Saturday’s election will not only determine the next set of grassroots leaders but could also reshape the political dynamics of one of Nigeria’s most strategic states.
Residents of Rivers State will on Saturday head to the polls to elect local government chairmen and councillors across 6,866 polling units in 319 wards.
The exercise comes six months after the Supreme Court nullified the October 5, 2024, local government elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for violating provisions of the Electoral Act.
The election is widely seen as a political litmus test that could influence the balance of power ahead of the 2027 governorship contest in the oil-rich South-South state.
Addressing residents in a pre-election broadcast, RSIEC Chairman Michael Odey urged eligible voters to turn out peacefully and assured them of adequate security and timely delivery of materials to urban, rural, and riverine communities.
Odey said a joint operation with the police and other security agencies would ensure a safe exercise, with movement restricted between 12 a.m. and 6 p.m. on election day.
To reassure voters, security agencies on Friday staged a show of force in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs. The convoy included the Nigerian Police, Army, Navy, NSCDC, FRSC, and other allied agencies, signaling readiness to maintain peace before, during, and after the polls.
Police Commissioner Olugbenga Adepoju reiterated that massive deployment of personnel and logistics was in place to guarantee a credible exercise.
The polls are taking place under an emergency administration headed by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on March 19, 2025, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara,
his deputy, and the House of Assembly after a bitter political standoff with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Although Tinubu later brokered reconciliation between Fubara and Wike, political divisions remain sharp, with both men wielding influence in their home bases of Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre respectively.
Civil society groups and legal experts have questioned the credibility of the polls, noting that the state electoral body is being supervised by an appointee of the sole administrator.
Legal practitioner Chetam Nwala described the election as not in the best interest of Rivers people,” while Jake Epelle, CEO of TAF Africa, argued that the arrangement between PDP and APC candidates was a concoction designed to mislead voters.
In its ruling that voided the 2024 elections, the Supreme Court held that RSIEC violated the Electoral Act by continuing voter registration after announcing an election date. Justice Jamilu Tukur described the action as flagrant disobedience” and declared the process null and void.
The apex court also barred the CBN, Accountant General, and other agencies from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government until it complied fully with court orders.
As Rivers residents prepare to cast their votes, the outcome of Saturday’s election will not only determine the next set of grassroots leaders but could also reshape the political dynamics of one of Nigeria’s most strategic states.
