Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Announces October 5th as Date for Local Government Elections
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced that the 2024 Local Government Elections will be held on Saturday, October 5th. This announcement comes amidst the ongoing local government succession crisis caused by the conflict between Governor Siminialayi Fubara and the Martins Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
The RSIEC made the announcement during a stakeholders meeting held on July 1st, 2024. The meeting included the unveiling of the timetable and guidelines for the upcoming Local Government Elections in the state. The decision to hold the elections on October 5th was met with mixed reactions from various stakeholders and political parties.
Governor Sim Fubara has been praised for his commitment to conducting the elections in accordance with the law. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has called on the state government to conduct the elections as required by the constitution, and expressed confidence in the RSIEC to oversee the process.
The announcement of the election date comes amidst a backdrop of political tensions in the state. The conflict between Governor Fubara and the Martins Amaewhule-led lawmakers has led to a succession crisis in the local government areas. The police have taken over all 23 secretariats of local government areas in the state pending the forthcoming judgement of the Court of Appeal.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, on the other hand, has passed the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Bill into law by overriding the assent of Governor Fubara. The bill makes it mandatory for the RSIEC to conduct elections before the expiration of the tenure of local government chairmen.
The decision of the Assembly was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the media aide to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu. The Assembly had, on March 13, 2014, passed the Local Government (Amendment) Bill and forwarded the same to the governor for his assent.
The upcoming Local Government Elections in Rivers State will be closely watched as the state continues to navigate the ongoing political tensions and succession crisis.
