Rivers State Sets Date for Fresh Local Government Elections Following Supreme Court Nullification

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced August 9, 2025, as the date for fresh local government elections, following the Supreme Court’s nullification of the previous polls.

The announcement comes after a landmark ruling on February 28, when a five-member panel of the Supreme Court overturned the local government elections held on October 5, 2024. The ruling, delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, upheld an appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the required conditions under Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act had not been met before the elections were conducted.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, RSIEC Chairman Adolphus Enebeli confirmed that the commission would abide by the Supreme Court’s decision and outlined plans for the upcoming elections.

“In exercise of the powers conferred on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission by Section 5 of the RSIEC Law No. 2 of 2018, and all other enabling provisions, the commission hereby provides guidelines for political parties, stipulating rules and procedures for electioneering campaigns,” Enebeli stated.

He further declared that the fresh local government council elections would take place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, across all 23 local government areas of the state.

The 2024 elections had been mired in controversy, with the Action People’s Party (APP) winning 22 LGAs and the Action Alliance (AA) securing victory in just one. However, the election process faced legal challenges, including conflicting court orders and opposition from major political parties, including the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

See Also

MTN Group proposes full acquisition of IHS Towers in $2.2 billion deal

On September 4, 2024, a Rivers State High Court ruled that RSIEC could conduct elections using the 2023 voter register. However, a federal high court in Abuja later issued a contrary order on September 30, barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the register to RSIEC. Additionally, the court prohibited the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the polls.

Despite the federal court ruling and the withdrawal of security personnel, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara insisted that the elections would proceed as planned.