PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has confirmed that the local government elections will proceed as planned on 5th October 2024, despite recent legal setbacks and security concerns.
The announcement follows a Federal High Court ruling that barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register to RSIEC for the elections. The ruling, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, held that RSIEC had breached legal protocols, raising questions about the legality of the election preparations. In response, the Rivers State Police Command also announced that it would not provide security for the polls, citing the court order as its reason.
However, in a statement released late on Friday, RSIEC’s Commissioner for Civil Education and Public Affairs, Tobin Tamunotonye, reassured the public that the elections would proceed as scheduled. “For the avoidance of doubt, we emphasise unequivocally that the 5th October 2024 Local Government Council Election in Rivers State will hold as scheduled, and there is no going back,” the statement read.
Citing the RSIEC Law of 2018 and a recent judgment by Justice I.P.C. Igwe of the Rivers State High Court, which upheld the commission’s authority to conduct the elections, RSIEC stressed that it is constitutionally empowered to organise local government polls. The commission also referenced the 1999 Constitution to reinforce its mandate.
According to RSIEC, all non-sensitive materials have already been distributed to polling units across the state, and the updated 2023 voter registers are available at all 6,366 polling units. The commission reiterated that voting centres will open on time and that election materials are in place at distribution points.
RSIEC further dismissed rumours regarding the resignation of its Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), labelling the reports as “false and baseless.” The statement emphasised that Justice Enebeli remains in charge of the commission and accused those behind the claims of attempting to mislead the public.
“The claim is a fabricated lie from the pit of hell, calculated to mislead the public. For the avoidance of doubt, the Chairman/Chief Electoral Commissioner is still in charge and has not resigned as maliciously circulated across the media space,” the statement concluded.
Despite the legal and security challenges, RSIEC remains steadfast in its commitment to conducting the local government elections, which are seen as a critical aspect of the state’s governance process.
Credit: Emerald News
