The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) says it will uphold transparency, fairness and equity during the forthcoming local government election.
The election, scheduled to hold on 30 August, 2025, elicited criticisms in certain quarters in recent weeks, with some questioning its constitutionality and the credibility of the current RSIEC to conduct a free and fair election.
But speaking at a town hall meeting organized by the Rivers Peace Initiative on Friday in Port Harcourt, Chidi Halliday, RSIEC’s commissioner for administration and legals and keynote speaker at the parley, assured that the commission would be transparent, fair and impartial in the discharge of their duties. He advised critics of the forthcoming exercise to be more constructive. He also urged Rivers people to embrace the election to enable the state move forward.
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“For us in the commission, we have created a level-playing environment. There’s no partiality in what we’re doing; nothing is hidden. We’re working on the ethos of transparency. But as much as possible, we request and desire constructive opinion, constructive advice, and those that are participating, let them participate well.
“For us as Rivers people, there is no going back. We cannot be talking about whether the election will hold or not; what should be in us is: ‘What is it we have to do for this election to be a success?,'” Halliday, a political scientist and professor of law, said.
