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Despite stakeholders’ concern over the legitimacy of the proposed Local Government elections, the Rivers State Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced that it will conduct Council Polls in the 23 Local Government Areas of the State on August 30.
Michael Ekpai Odey, the Chairman of the Commission, while unveiling the timetable for the Council polls to stakeholders on Monday at the Commission’s Headquarters in Port Harcourt, said the elections earlier scheduled for August 9, 2025, by the preceeding Commission had been shifted to August 30, 2025 to accommodate issues of concern raised.
Odey told stakeholders, made up of representatives of political parties, religious groups, traditional institution, women groups and youths, that the Commission would conduct free, credible and transparent elections.
According to RSIEC’s ‘Revised Timetable for the 2025 Local Government Council Elections,’ activities for polls, which kicked off on July 28 with a meeting with stakeholders, would end on September 13, 2025, with a second run-off for the Chairmanship election.
Odey said the announcement of the postponement of the election and a new date for the conduct of the polls, and guidelines were prompted by the provisions of SS.13(5) and 20 (1) (a) of RISEC Law No. 2 of 2018 (as amended).
He noted that a stakeholders meeting “was convened by the 6th Commission on Wednesday, 5th of March, 2025, whereupon Saturday, 9th of August, 2025, was proclaimed as the date of Local Government Council elections in Rivers State, prior to the advent of Emergency.
“The 7th Commission of RSIEC, taking proper cognizance of Section 13 (5) of the RSIEC law, which provides that when a Commission appoints a date for holding an election, and there is reason to believe that the serious breach of peace is likely to occur if election is held on that date, or it is impossible to conduct the election as a result of natural disaster or any other emergency, the Commission may postpone the election provided the reason for the postponement is cogent and verified.
“Therefore, by the powers vested upon this commission by this provision, I hereby announce the postponement of the local government council election, earlier fixed to hold on Saturday, August 9, 2025, for a very obvious and incontrovertible reason.”
Odey added that, “in exercise of the powers conferred on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, by Section 5 of the RSIEC law review of 2018, and all of that powers enabling it in that behalf, to provide guidelines to which the parties, stipulating the rules and procedures of the electioneering campaigns for the 2025 Local Government Council elections, and any other runoff, or reruns or bye-election that may arise therefrom, the Commission hereby makes the following rules and regulations.
“There shall be Local Government elections on Saturday, the 30th of August, 2025, in all the 23 local government areas of Rivers State. One councilor each shall be elected in each of the wards, and the chairman and vice-chairman shall be elected in each of the Local Government areas,” he said.
Hilda Dokubo, State Chairman of the Labour Party, said her party would study the documents, timetable and references presented by RISEC before presenting a position on the matter.
Tony Okocha, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said his party is ready, “any time, any day,” to participate in the Council polls.
He suggested some stakeholders were concerned with the previous arrangement to conduct the council polls, because “things were not done properly,” adding that his party is satisfied with the present arrangements to hold the polls.
Imeabe Saviour, Chairman, Coalition of Rivers State Youths, however, took a different turn. He questioned the legality of the proposed polls, describing them as likely to exacerbate the lingering political crisis in the State.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately lift the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State and restore Governor Siminalayi Fubara, so as to restore political harmony and revive the State’s economy that had been negatively hit by the months of emergency rule.
