The Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), has appealed to residents of Rivers State to remain peaceful and law-abiding as the state goes to the polls today for its local government elections.
Ibas made the call on Friday during a meeting with leaders of organised labour and Local Government Administrators at the Government House, Port Harcourt. He stressed that the government has made adequate security arrangements to guarantee safety at polling centres across the state.
Residents in the 23 local government areas are expected to cast their votes in 6,866 polling units spread across the state, in what observers describe as a major test of political stability in Rivers.
The elections come exactly six months and two days after the Supreme Court nullified the October 5, 2024, council election earlier conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). That judgment threw local governance in Rivers into a temporary vacuum, prompting the appointment of administrators to manage the affairs of the 23 councils until fresh elections were scheduled.
Despite the preparations, controversy has trailed today’s exercise. Some prominent Rivers indigenes had written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urging him to halt the polls, while five others approached the court to challenge the legality of the election. The plaintiffs sued the Federal Government, Vice Admiral Ibas, and the RSIEC, arguing that the process should be suspended.
Undeterred, Ibas reassured residents that the election would go on as planned, promising that security agencies were fully mobilised to maintain order. “All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure a safe and peaceful election,” he said. “I urge all eligible voters to go out tomorrow (today) and exercise their civic responsibility without fear or intimidation.”
The election is being closely monitored by political observers given Rivers State’s history of tense political contests, with stakeholders calling on both political actors and security agencies to ensure credibility and peace throughout the exercise.