•Groups flay commission over proposed polls

The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, has written to the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Dr. Micheal Odey, rejecting August 30, 2025, as the date for the local council elections in Rivers State.

IPAC, in the letter signed by its National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, and National Secretary, Maxwell Mgbudem, and copied to President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), expressed concern about the resolve of the RSIEC chairman to continue with the polls. He described the move as “unconstitutional” and “illegal”, thereby disregarding the nation’s constitutional democratic norms.

The letter, which was made available to The Guardian yesterday, emphasised that the process of conducting the Rivers State council elections during a period of emergency rule in the state is to make a caricature of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and its institutions.

While recalling that Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, proclaimed a State of Emergency in Rivers State, IPAC said the reconstituted RSEIC board lacks the legitimate authority to conduct any election in the state, insisting that only constitutionally recognised authority, the governor, has power to appoint members of the State Electoral Commission and confirmed by the State House of Assembly.

IPAC has, therefore, directed all lovers of democracy in Rivers State, especially all political parties, to desist from participating in the proposed council election.

Similarly, the Chairman of Defence for Human Rights and Democracy (DHRD), Mr. Clifford Solomon, and the National Coordinator, Advocates People’s Rights and Justice (APRJ), Victor Giwa, have criticised RSIEC for receiving the names of candidates from political parties ahead of its proposed local council elections.

Solomon condemned RSIEC for accepting the candidate lists without monitoring the party primaries, as required by the Electoral Act. He claimed that no primary election was conducted on Saturday, alleging that the names submitted to the commission were handpicked.

He also claimed that the chairmanship and councillorship candidates presented by the All Progressives Congress (APC) were not party members.

He called on RSIEC to listen to the concerns raised by the electorate in the interest of democracy.

Oh his part, Giwa, speaking on Arise News, described, as illegal, the move by the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas (rtd.), to conduct local council elections.

He pointed out that any election conducted by the sole administrator would be null and void, insisting that Ibas is not constitutionally allowed to appoint a chairman for the RSIEC. (The Guardian)