Ayo Ajayi
A coalition of civil society organisations has strongly condemned the planned local government elections in Rivers State, describing the move by the state’s Sole Administrator and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as unconstitutional, illegitimate, and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
At a joint press conference held in Abuja, The Alliance of Civil Society Organisations for Expansion of Electoral and Democratic Space (ACCESS) and Speak Out Africa Initiative (SOAI) called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and halt the scheduled August 30, 2025, elections.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Engr. Kenneth Eze, who also serves as the Executive Director of Speak Out Africa Initiative, described the proposed polls as “a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic framework and a clear violation of both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.”
“This is a joke taken too far. The imposition of a Sole Administrator in place of an elected governor is not just illegal, it is void ab initio. Now, an illegal administrator wants to conduct an election? That is a rape on our democracy,” Eze stated.
According to the coalition, the RSIEC’s announcement to conduct the LG polls violates Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires that local government elections be held not earlier than 90 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the previous office holders. The 21-day notice given by RSIEC—from July 28 to August 30—falls far short of this legal threshold.
The group cited the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling that nullified the October 2024 local government elections in Rivers for similar procedural violations, including inadequate notice and failure to update the voters’ register. They warned that RSIEC appears to be on the same unconstitutional path again.
“Any election conducted by a government established on shaky legal grounds is dead on arrival. It will not withstand legal scrutiny, it will waste taxpayers’ money, destabilize the state further, and deepen public mistrust in democratic institutions,” Eze warned.
The coalition further criticised the federal government’s silence four months after declaring a controversial state of emergency in the state, which led to the removal of the elected governor and the appointment of a Sole Administrator—an act they claim lacks constitutional basis.
ACCESS and SOAI urged President Tinubu to immediately lift the state of emergency and reinstate the democratically elected governor to restore constitutional order and rebuild trust in governance.
“Democracy must be protected, not trampled. Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution is clear: No part of the Federation shall be governed except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution,” the group said.
They concluded by demanding the immediate suspension of preparations for the August 30 elections, calling on INEC, the courts, and all relevant stakeholders to defend the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy and ensure Rivers State returns to constitutional governance.
