Rivers State Voters Head to the Polls to Elect Chairmen, Councillors
Residents of Rivers State are casting their ballots today, August 30, 2025, in long-awaited local government elections across the state’s 23 local government areas.
The polls, organised by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), will see voters choose new chairmen and councillors to lead grassroots governance.
The elections come against the backdrop of a Supreme Court judgment that nullified the October 5, 2024, polls, creating a vacuum in local administration.
That ruling paved the way for today’s exercise, which has been billed as a major test for both political parties and the credibility of the electoral umpire in the state.
To ensure a smooth process, RSIEC confirmed that all sensitive and non-sensitive materials were distributed to polling units ahead of voting.
Authorities also declared a restriction of movement from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. across the state, with security operatives stationed along major routes and within sensitive flashpoints. In Port Harcourt, for instance, police were seen enforcing curfews on the East-West Road near Choba Area Command as voting commenced.
Channels Television’s live updates from different LGAs painted a mixed picture of election day. While materials arrived at polling centres in Elekahia Primary School, some parts of Port Harcourt saw youths taking advantage of the restriction to turn empty roads into makeshift football pitches.
Similar scenes were observed in Obio/Akpor where young residents staged street games around the Akpajo axis instead of heading to polling stations.
Beyond the polling day atmosphere, the exercise has generated controversy in political circles. Several former local government chairmen loyal to ex-Governor Nyesom Wike re-emerged as candidates, sparking debates about recycling political leadership. Critics, including some civil society groups and stakeholders, argue that the process lacks legitimacy because it is being overseen under what they describe as a “sole administrator arrangement.”
Despite the concerns, state officials insist the elections are both constitutional and necessary to stabilise local governance. Results are expected to start trickling in later today once collation begins across the 23 LGAs.
For now, Rivers State residents remain watchful as the outcome of the polls could reshape the political balance in a state already marked by high-stakes battles between rival camps of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
