There is palpable uncertainty regarding the conduct of the August 30, 2025, Local Government Elections in Rivers State. Political party officials and other stakeholders are raising concerns over the legitimacy of the proposed exercise.
The Michael Ekpai Odey-led Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on July 28, 2025, announced a shift in date for the polls, moving it from an earlier proposed August 9 to August 30, 2025.
Darlington Nwauju, spokesman of the Emeka Beke-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State, in an interview on July 30, said the conditions necessary for the conduct of council polls on August 30 have not been met by RSIEC.
Nwauju suggested that his party might not participate in the polls until all conditions warranting credible, free and fair elections have been met.
His statement contrasts sharply with those of Tony Okocha, chairman of the rival APC faction, who said the party is ready to go to the polls on August 30.
The two positions, however, fuel speculation that the state chapter of the APC might go the same route it did in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, when it could not field candidates for elective positions in the state due to internal party wranglings.
Nwauju, in the chat with our correspondent, raised four main points that he said invalidate plans to conduct council polls in the state on August 30.
He said, “One, on June 25th this year, INEC, which is the principal election management body in Nigeria, issued an advisory, stating that whereas it has plans to conduct bye-elections to fill several spaces and constituencies that require to be filled as a result of either death, resignation or whatever reasons, that they are not able to conduct elections in Khana Constituency 2 citing the state of emergency in Rivers State.
“Two, INEC, again, I think two days ago, issued another advisory warning state independent electoral commissions across the country to stop the idea of issuing a 21-day notice for elections.
“Election is a process, and it’s a cycle. It’s never a one-month exercise. And you’re trying to play around with words and semantics, telling us that you are revising the calendar that was earlier scheduled by Justice Enebeli.
“Given the fact that you are revising the calendar, given the fact that the Supreme Court had on February 28th set aside everything done by Justice Enebeli, how do you now build on what does not exist. How can you claim that you are not building on what the Enebeli did?
“Number three, the tenureship of Justice Enebeli is yet to expire, and the Enebeli was screened and confirmed by the state House of Assembly. So, we are thinking that the rush by these individuals who are, as I’ve said before, strangers to us to the best of our knowledge, the rush to conduct elections is just a rush to waste taxpayers’ money.
“Four, some members of the so-called RSIEC are known card-carrying members of the People’s Democratic Party, persons who are known to have campaigned for the PDP during the 2023 elections in Rivers State.
“Finally, and very importantly, the Supreme Court had warned, flowing from the judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, which ordered INEC not to issue a voter’s register to the state Independent Electoral Commission led by Justice Enebeli, that without an updated voter’s register, elections must not go on at the local government levels in Rivers State,” he said.
Nwauju, whose faction is in court over control of the party in Rivers State, said given the issues raised, APC will not be in a hurry to go into the elections until the necessary criteria are put in place to ensure a free and fair poll.
Tony Okocha, rival state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, immediately after the RSIEC announcement on July 28, 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.
Hilda Dokubo, state chairman of the Labour Party, said her party will study the documents, timetable and references presented by RISEC before presenting a position on the matter.
She, however, refused to go into the legality or otherwise of the proposed council polls, adding the concern of her party with what is in the best interest of the people of Rivers State.
Imeabe Saviour, chairman, Coalition of Rivers State Youths, however, took a different turn. He questioned the legality of the proposed polls, describing it 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 economy that has been negatively hit by the months of Emergency rule.
