Rivers APC Opposes Planned LG Polls

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has opposed the state electoral body’s plan to hold local government elections on August 30. 

The party warned that proceeding with the polls risks disenfranchising voters and violating a Supreme Court ruling.

APC spokesperson, Darlington Nwauju, urged the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to postpone the elections until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) completes its ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in the state. 

He argued that it was necessary to comply with the apex court’s February judgment mandating the use of updated voter registers for elections.

“I do not think you’re supposed to have an election in the middle of voter registration, given that many who have attained voting age this year will be alienated or disenfranchised,” Nwauju said. 

He also accused RSIEC of selectively adopting decisions from the now-dissolved 6th commission led by Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd).

Stakeholders also questioned the legitimacy of both RSIEC and the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to organise the polls amid the current emergency rule imposed in Rivers State.

Despite the criticisms, RSIEC and the administrator remain resolute, insisting the August 30 election date will not be changed.

RSIEC Commissioner for Political Parties’ Affairs, Monitoring and Security, Godfrey Woke, said the voter register obtained in March was still valid. 

He added that the commission had begun screening candidates for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Woke said,

“The date for the local government elections in Rivers State is sacrosanct. We are not shifting from what we are doing,” stressing that the timetable was prepared in accordance with the RSIEC Act.

“We (RSIEC) are following our guidelines and our timetable, and we have not deviated from the timetable according to the RSIEC Act. This timetable was adjusted because the date for the election was changed because RSIEC was not able to conduct an election at that time. And the law also allows us to change the date to a better date, and that is what we have just done. We cannot change it again. We had already obtained our voters register before INEC came up with that.”

The Sole Administrator, through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, also reaffirmed RSIEC’s authority to conduct the polls. 

He noted that the National Assembly, which took over legislative powers after the declaration of emergency rule, cleared RSIEC for the election.

“When people talk about legality, are they wishing away the powers of the National Assembly? RSIEC has the legal basis to do what it is doing. You can’t wish that away,” Igbikiowubo said.

He added, “What we must understand is that RSIEC wasn’t cleared by the Administrator. RSIEC was cleared by the National Assembly. Whenever there is an emergency rule, like we have now in the state, you find out that legislative powers rest with the National Assembly.

“If you look at it holistically, you will see that the National Assembly has acted within its powers, and from there on, RSIEC has the legal basis to do what it is doing. You can’t wish that away.”