Prominent citizens of Rivers State including former Governor Celestine Omehia, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, have told President Bola Tinubu to stop the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission from conducting the local government election in the state fixed for August 30.
They also called on the President to reinstate suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the state House of Assembly.
The stakeholders under the aegis of “Major Stakeholders,” include Atedo Peterside, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Senator Andrew Uchendu and Tele Ikuru. Other stakeholders are Prince Fafaa Dan Princewill, Dagogo Jack, Randolph Iwo Brown, Dr Austin Tam-George, Donu Kogbara, Dr Sokonte Davies, Dr Glory Emeh, George Feyii, Honourable Asita, Sam Agwor and Ann-Kio Briggs.
The President, on March 18 2025, suspended Fubara, Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu and members of the state House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Martins Amaewhule.
In their stead, the President announced Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as the sole administrator.
They made the call in an open letter to the President in which they allege that the RSIEC inaugurated by Vice Admiral Ibas (retd.) conducting the LG poll would threaten democracy.
According to the open letter titled: “Rivers LG election: A Serious Threat To Democracy and Repeated Violation of The Constitution — Urgent Warning From Major Stakeholders,” “the proposed local government council election in Rivers State is nothing short of an existential assault on our democracy and a brazen flouting of Nigeria’s Constitution.”
They said the there was “violation of constitutional governance and due process in the unlawful attempt to hold LG election in the state.”
The letter read, “These elections, orchestrated by a ‘Sole Administrator’ with no constitutional mandate and allegedly imposed by the Federal Government, threaten the very foundations of our federal system, the rule of law, and the peace of Rivers State.
“First, there is currently no legally constituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as mandated by Sections 2, 3, 5, and 12 of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2018.
“Consequently, any electoral activities undertaken by such an illegitimate body are null and void.”
They accused the RSIEC if ignoring the mandatory 90-day notice requirement before an election, as stipulated in Section 20 of the RSIEC Law.
“With no formal notification for candidate nominations or polling timetables, and an election date of August 30, 2025, announced on short notice, this process bears a resemblance to the 2024 polls, which the Supreme Court annulled due to procedural failures.
“Ignoring these safeguards is not an oversight; it is a deliberate attack on the principle of due process,” the group said.
They said “the blatant usurpation of state autonomy desecrates our federal architecture and imperils democratic governance,” and urged Tinubu, the National Assembly, the Nigerian judiciary, civil society, the media, the international community, and all defenders of democracy to intervene decisively.
“Rivers State stands at a crossroads: surrender to impunity or uphold the constitution and the will of the people. The choice is ours and the stakes could not be higher,” they declared.
