Rivers LG elections kick off across 23 local governments, with RSIEC distributing materials and officials urging residents to vote peacefully and transparently.
Rivers State has commenced its local government ( LG ) elections at various registration centres across the State. By 8 a.m., many centres were bustling with activity, as electoral materials were being distributed to wards in preparation for the polls.
At Elekahia, one of the key registration centres, officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) were seen overseeing the collection and distribution of election materials.
Party agents were also present to ensure fairness and transparency in the handling of the materials for the Port Harcourt Local Government Area.
Several vehicles were observed leaving the centres, transporting both officials and electoral materials to designated polling units.
The elections, taking place in all 23 local government areas of Rivers State, are being conducted across 6,866 polling units.
This follows six months and two days after the Supreme Court nullified the previous local government election held on October 5, 2024, by RSIEC.
Despite legal challenges from five prominent Rivers indigenes who petitioned President Bola Tinubu to halt the elections, the State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), affirmed that all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure a safe and peaceful process.
Addressing leaders of organised labour and Local Government Administrators at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Ibas appealed to residents to exercise patience and civility during the elections.
He stated, “All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure a safe and peaceful election. Please go out tomorrow (today) and exercise your civic responsibility without fear or intimidation.”
Ibas further emphasised the broader significance of the elections, linking them to good governance and transparency. He highlighted the ongoing staff verification and biometric enrolment exercise as a key component of ensuring accountability at the grassroots level.
“Tomorrow’s elections are an important step towards restoring democratic governance at the grassroots.
“But leaders can only be held accountable when there is clarity on the human and material resources available to them,” the Administrator explained.
Providing an update on the verification exercise, Ibas disclosed compelling results: 37,703 state staff have been verified out of over 43,000, 19,186 state pensioners out of over 25,500, 2,004 local government pensioners out of more than 2,600, and 8,000 local government staff across seven LGAs, including Obio/Akpor, Bonny, Etche, and Degema.
He set September 4, 2025, as the deadline for completing all local government staff verification, pledging full deployment of state resources to achieve this target.
Meanwhile, RSIEC Chairman Michael Odey outlined the commission’s preparations for the elections, stating that planning was aligned with a detailed timetable of events.
The commission had assessed the diverse terrains of the LGAs—including riverine and upland areas—to ensure smooth logistics.
Odey explained that movement of non-sensitive election materials began on Thursday, while sensitive materials were scheduled to be transported under security escort on Friday.
He reassured that all ad hoc staff had been properly trained and that the commission remained committed to conducting free, fair, credible, and transparent elections.
Supporting these preparations, the State Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to maintaining the safety and security of all citizens.
“These operations reflect a broader strategy to dismantle criminal networks and ensure public confidence in law enforcement agencies, especially as it concerns the upcoming chairmanship and councillorship elections,” he stated.
Ibas concluded by restating his administration’s dedication to transparency, staff welfare, and the efficient conclusion of the ongoing verification exercise.
The combined focus on electoral integrity and workforce accountability underscores the State’s determination to strengthen democratic governance and restore public trust at the grassroots level.