The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced plans to conduct fresh local government elections in the state.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the electoral body has summoned relevant stakeholders to a general meeting ahead of the polls.
According to a statement signed by the RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Michael Ekpali Odey, the meeting is scheduled to hold on Monday, July 28, 2025, at the Commission’s headquarters, located at 239–243 Aba Road, Port Harcourt. The meeting will begin at exactly 2:00 p.m.
Expected at the meeting are leaders of all registered political parties, traditional rulers, security agencies, religious bodies, professional organisations, the media, civil society groups, non-governmental organisations, community-based groups, and the general electorate. Dr. Odey noted that the highlight of the engagement would be the formal unveiling of the revised timetable and guidelines for the 2025 Local Government Elections in Rivers State.
This move comes months after the Supreme Court, on February 28, 2025, nullified the local government elections earlier conducted by RSIEC on October 5, 2024. The apex court ruled that the process violated key provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 150(3), which mandates a 90-day notice to stakeholders and proper release of the voters register. The All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed a legal challenge, citing these irregularities.
Prior to the Supreme Court verdict, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters register and restrained the police from providing security support for the election. Though the Court of Appeal later vacated the order on jurisdictional grounds, the Supreme Court reinstated the ruling, thereby invalidating the entire election and removing all elected chairmen across the state’s 23 local government areas.
The political situation in Rivers State escalated further when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in the state. The declaration led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly. Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.) was appointed as Sole Administrator to oversee governance during the emergency period.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s judgment and the transition to emergency rule, the Sole Administrator moved to dissolve and reconstitute the leadership of RSIEC and local government councils.