In compliance with the Supreme Court verdict, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has fixed Saturday 9th August 2025 as the date for a fresh local government election in the state.
The commission said that the new date was fixed to allow proper preparation for both the political parties and the umpire considering that funds had been expended on the exercise that was invalidated by the apex court.
Announcing the new timetable for the council poll on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ meeting in the state, the Chairman of RSIEC, Adolphus Enebeli, stated that the electoral guidelines would be strictly adhered to during the exercise.
Enebeli, who urged the political parties to comply with the new timetable, stated that the commission would not accept any contravention of the law guiding the poll.
Meanwhile, the commission chairman promised residents that RSIEC have been trained to conduct free, fair and credible exercise as stipulated by law.
The exercise, meanwhile, may not hold following the Rivers State House of Assembly insistence that the law guiding the processes must be adjusted.
The Assembly insists that the polls cannot proceed until two key laws—the Rivers State Local Government Amendment Law and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law—are amended to align with the national Electoral Act.
The lawmakers accused the RSIEC of ignoring its earlier letter, which stressed the need to pause the elections until these legal changes were made, to comply with national standards.
The Assembly has summoned the Chairman and Commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to appear before it.
The officials have been given until the 7th of March 2025 to comply. Should they fail to do so, the Assembly has threatened to issue a warrant for their arrest—a move that underscores the deepening rift between the legislative and executive branches of the state government.
The announcement came days after the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, sacked the council chairmen incompliance with the Supreme verdict and appointed individuals to run the council affairs.
The apex court ruled on February 28th, 2025 against the council poll conducted by the commission, declaring that the exerise as illegal after reviewing the suit brought before it by residents of the state.
