RSIEC Reaffirms Commitment to Free and Fair Local Government Elections in Rivers
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has reiterated its readiness to conduct free, fair, and credible local government elections in the state scheduled for August 9, 2025.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement in Port Harcourt, the commission’s Director of Administration and Legal Services, Professor Chidi Halliday, assured that RSIEC has met all constitutional and legal requirements for the polls.
Halliday noted that the commission had obtained the updated voter register, observed the mandatory 150-day notice period, and complied with the amended emergency regulations that bar elections within 30 days of notice.
“The Commission, being proactive on the 5th of March, did release the notice and guidelines for local government elections fixed for the 9th of August 2025,” he said. “The Administrator appointed by the President never suspended that notice; there was no political party that was stopped from exercising its roles as a party. On the 28th of July, we had the stakeholders’ meeting and released the revised timetable, and not one political party said that what we were doing was against the law.”
Also speaking at the forum, the convener of the Rivers Peace Initiative, Mr. Obinna Ebogidi, emphasized the need for political actors and residents to prioritize peace and unity in the electoral process.
“This town hall is not just about local government elections, it’s about the dignity of every Rivers person, it’s about protecting the sanctity of our democratic processes. It is about keeping our communities safe, united, and forward-looking. No ambition, no interest, no coalition is worth the blood of any Rivers person and no difference is too wide to narrow our bridge,” he stated.
The Oba of Ogbaland, His Eminence Eze Nwachukwu Obuohna Obi III, commended President Bola Tinubu for intervening in the political crisis that had threatened the stability of Rivers State, noting that the move helped pave the way for a return to democratic governance.
“There must be a way forward to every situation. Let me say thank you to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and those who worked with him because both sides were not listening to anybody,” the monarch said.
On security arrangements, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Adewale Adepoju, represented by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, assured residents of the police’s preparedness to safeguard lives and property before, during, and after the elections.
With assurances from the electoral body, traditional leaders, civil society, and security agencies, stakeholders expressed optimism that the upcoming local government elections would be peaceful and credible.
