Atedo Peterside, the founder of Stanbic IBTC, and other prominent political leaders and civic figures in Rivers State have warned President Bola Tinubu against what they describe as an “existential assault on our democracy” through plans to conduct local government council elections in the state under what they call unconstitutional conditions.
In a statement Friday, the stakeholders said the proposed polls, slated for August 30, 2025, were being “orchestrated by a ‘Sole Administrator’ with no constitutional mandate and allegedly imposed by the Federal Government,” posing a grave threat to federalism, the rule of law, and peace in Rivers State.
They argued that there is “currently no legally constituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as mandated by Sections 2, 3, 5, and 12 of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2018.” According to them, “any electoral activities undertaken by such an illegitimate body are null and void.”
Citing Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the group maintained that “only the elected Governor, upon confirmation by the Rivers State House of Assembly, is empowered to appoint the Chairman and members of RSIEC. Any appointment process outside this constitutional procedure is invalid and unconstitutional.”
They also accused the current RSIEC leadership of violating the statutory requirement of a 90-day notice before elections, as stipulated in Section 20 of the RSIEC Law. “With no formal notification for candidate nominations or polling timetables—and an election date of August 30, 2025, announced on short notice—this process bears a resemblance to the 2024 polls, which the Supreme Court annulled due to procedural failures,” the statement said, calling the move “a deliberate attack on the principle of due process.”
The signatories noted that multiple court cases challenging the legality of the sole administrator’s appointment and RSIEC’s operations are still pending before the Supreme Court and Federal High Court. “Yet, despite pending… challenges by political parties—electoral machinery grinds on under a so-called ‘emergency’ guise,” they said.
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They further argued that Rivers State is already in “a de facto state of emergency” following the federal suspension of its executive and legislative branches. “If INEC deems by-elections untenable under such conditions, how can local government polls—unrelated to any genuine emergency—be justified?” they asked.
The group emphasised that Section 7(1) of the Constitution gives states, not the federal government, exclusive responsibility for local council elections. They warned that “a federally appointed agent—lacking any legal foundation—cannot lawfully step into this role,” calling such actions “ultra vires and void.”
“This blatant usurpation of state autonomy desecrates our federal architecture and imperils democratic governance,” the statement read. “Rivers State stands at a crossroads: surrender to impunity or uphold the Constitution and the will of the people. The choice is ours—and the stakes could not be higher.”
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The statement was signed by 22 Rivers stakeholders, including Peterside, former Governor Celestine Omehia, former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, former Minister of Transport Abiye Sekibo, Tonye Cole, among others.
