By milcah tanimu
The rivers state independent electoral commission (rsiec) has officially announced that local government elections in the state will be held on october 5. This declaration came during a meeting with political party leaders held at rsiec’s headquarters in port harcourt on monday.
During the meeting, rsiec also unveiled its timetable and guidelines for the forthcoming polls. This decision follows governor siminalayi fubara’s recent appointment of a caretaker committee to oversee the local governments after the tenure of the previous 23 chairmen expired on june 17.
The outgoing chairmen, reportedly loyal to the former governor and current minister of the federal capital territory (fct), nyesom wike, had contested their removal, citing law no 2 enacted by the martins amaewhule-led house of assembly, which they claimed extended their tenure by six months. This has led to legal disputes, with the rivers division of the federal high court yet to deliver a final judgment on the matter.
Chairman and chief electoral commissioner of rsiec, adolphus enebeli, issued a notice on june 19 scheduling the stakeholders’ meeting for july 1, 2024, to finalize arrangements for the elections amidst these ongoing legal challenges.
