Port Harcourt — The Rivers State Branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has rejected the newly announced timetable for the 2025 Local Government Council Elections, describing it as unconstitutional and illegitimate.
Click Here to Join Our Whatsapp Channel
The revised timetable, unveiled on Monday, July 28, by the reconstituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC) under Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey, schedules the elections for Saturday, August 30, 2025. This date replaces an earlier timetable set by the former RISIEC, led by Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli, which had fixed the polls for August 9.
In a press statement signed by CLO spokesperson Emmanuel Obe, the organisation insists that the current RISIEC board was unlawfully constituted and, therefore, lacks the legal authority to organise or alter the electoral schedule.
“The entire process is unconstitutional, illegal, and a misuse of public funds,” the CLO said, stressing that the timetable fails to comply with the minimum 90-day notice required by Sections 9(6), 19, and 94 of the Electoral Act. With only 32 days’ notice, the CLO argues, the process violates electoral laws and undermines democratic integrity.
The organisation also raised alarms over the absence of any provision in the timetable for the display and verification of the voters’ register. RISIEC has reportedly not confirmed receipt of the updated register from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), casting doubts on voter eligibility and transparency.
“This omission raises serious concerns about transparency and voter disenfranchisement,” the CLO warned, suggesting it opens the door to manipulation.
The rights group is demanding the immediate suspension of the proposed elections and calls for a credible and lawful process to be put in place. CLO further questioned the urgency to hold elections before the expected restoration of democratic governance in the state in September, when the six-month suspension of the Governor and State House of Assembly is set to end.
“The legitimate course of action is to allow reinstated democratic institutions to conduct the elections in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
The CLO warned that it would pursue all legal and democratic avenues to prevent what it calls “unconstitutional and undemocratic actions” by the reconstituted RISIEC.
