Residents of Rivers State will head to the polls on Saturday, August 30, to elect new local government officials across 6,866 polling units in 23 LGAs and 319 wards.
The election comes six months after the Supreme Court nullified the October 2024 council polls for violating the Electoral Act. The outcome is expected to influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 governorship race in the oil-rich South-South state.
Ahead of the vote, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) assured residents of adequate security and timely deployment of materials, while security agencies staged a show of force in Port Harcourt to demonstrate readiness. A restriction of movement will be enforced from midnight to 6 p.m. on election day.
The polls are taking place under emergency rule following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state assembly earlier this year. President Bola Tinubu appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.) as sole administrator after a political crisis involving Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
However, observers and civic groups have criticized the credibility of the election, questioning RSIEC’s independence and describing the APC–PDP dominance in the polls as a “concoction” aimed at deceiving the electorate.
The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that RSIEC breached the law by conducting voter registration after announcing the 2024 election date, and further barred federal agencies from releasing funds to the state until it complied with court orders.
