Residents across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State are casting their votes today in the long-awaited council elections, taking place in 6,866 polling units across 319 wards of the oil-rich state.
The polls are coming six months after the Supreme Court nullified the October 5, 2024 elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) over what it described as “gross violation” of the Electoral Act.
The elections are considered critical, not only because Rivers State is the economic hub of the South-South region, but also because the outcome is expected to influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Ahead of the polls, security agencies staged a show of force in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor to reassure voters of their safety. The exercise involved personnel from the Nigerian Police Force, Army, Navy, Civil Defence Corps, FRSC, and other allied agencies.
Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, said enough personnel and logistics had been deployed to ensure a peaceful and credible exercise. A restriction of movement from 12 am to 6 pm was also enforced across the state.
In a pre-election broadcast, RSIEC Chairman Michael Odey urged residents to come out peacefully and exercise their civic duty, assuring them of the timely distribution of voting materials, including to rural and riverine areas. Odey said adequate security had been put in place to protect lives and property during the exercise.
The elections are being held under unusual circumstances, as Rivers State remains under emergency rule. President Bola Tinubu had in March appointed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), following the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the State Assembly after a bitter political feud with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Although President Tinubu later brokered peace between Fubara and Wike, analysts believe today’s polls will serve as a pointer to the balance of power among the state’s political heavyweights, including Wike and his long-time rival, former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
Some civil society actors have, however, expressed skepticism about the credibility of the polls, given that they are being conducted by an electoral commission led by an appointee of the sole administrator.
Legal practitioner Chetam Nwala described the exercise as “not in the best interest of Rivers people,” while Jake Epelle, CEO of TAF Africa, faulted the dominance of APC and PDP candidates, warning that the arrangement was “a concoction to mislead the people.”
The shadow of last year’s judgment looms large over the elections. In October 2024, the Supreme Court voided the local government polls, ruling that RSIEC violated the law by continuing voter registration even after announcing an election date.
The apex court further barred the CBN, Accountant General of the Federation, and other agencies from releasing funds to the Rivers State Government until it complied fully with court orders.
As voting continues today, attention will be on whether the electoral process will meet the credibility threshold set by the courts — and how the outcome might reshape the state’s turbulent political landscape.
