The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has fixed August 30 for local government elections across the state.
The announcement was made during a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday at the Commission’s headquarters on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
The meeting, convened by RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Michael Ekpali Odey, brought together leaders of registered political parties, traditional rulers, security agencies, civil society groups, religious organisations, professional bodies, non-governmental organisations, and members of the public.
The development follows the Supreme Court’s nullification of the previous local government elections conducted on October 5, 2024. In a ruling delivered on February 28, 2025, the apex court declared the exercise invalid, citing violations of the Electoral Act 2022—particularly the failure to issue the mandatory 90-day notice and the improper handling of the voters register. The All Progressives Congress (APC) had dragged the commission to court.
The electoral process was initially halted by a ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters register and restrained law enforcement from supporting the polls. Though the Court of Appeal vacated the order, citing jurisdictional issues, the Supreme Court later upheld the original decision, resulting in the dismissal of all chairmen elected across the state’s 23 local government areas.
Following heightened political tension in the state, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025. The move led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly. Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas was appointed as the Sole Administrator to oversee the state during the emergency period.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Sole Administrator dissolved and restructured the RSIEC and the local government councils.
Ibas is expected to oversee the August 30 election.