The conduct of the local government elections held in Rivers State on Saturday, 30 August, 2025 has shown that the coast is now clear for democratic structures to return to the state.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, stated this on Saturday, 30 August, 2025 after casting his ballot at Ward 9, Unit 7 in his hometown, Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Wike, a former Governor of the state, thanked President Bola Tinubu for ensuring that the elections were held as part of efforts to restore democracy to the state on September 18.
According to him, the conduct of the LG elections removed what could have been the only major issue between the governor and the State Assembly.
While noting that the polls had cleared every stumbling block that might have triggered a clash between the executive and legislature, even after the state of emergency is lifted, Wike also referenced the constitution, stressing that there is no provision for caretaker committees at the local government level.
He said that if the state of emergency had been lifted without the return of democratically elected leadership at the local government level, funds meant for the councils would not be released by the Federal Government.
“And that is why we must thanksMr President for making sure this election is conducted.
“First of all you know that if an election is not conducted, you know that the Supreme Court said there is nothing like a Caretaker Committee at the local government, and if you have no elected people, you know that funds will it come from the Federation Account to the local governments.
“If the emergency rule is lifted and there is no local government election, we will still have the same problem.”
On the legality of the election, and whether it risked being annulled like the previous one, Wike said no election was conducted on October 5, 2024, following the nullification of the process by the Supreme Court.
Wike, who expressed confidence that the current election was conducted in line with the law, said “Supreme Court said there was no election and nullified the election. Today we are holding an election, and that is why you see people turning out to also vote. If you do something that is not known to the law, of course, it would be set aside and it was set aside.
“Now that the process is very clear and goes according to the law, nobody is worried. What people are doing is just to come out and cast their votes for whoever they want to represent them at the local government level.”
Wike also commended the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, for successfully organising the polls.
Speaking on the low turnout of voters observed in several polling units, Wike explained that participation in elections is usually very low in commercial areas but higher in residential communities.
He added that rural areas often record greater participation, while non-indigenes in the state rarely take part in local government elections because they do not have their representatives on the ballot.
“When you go to commercial areas, you don’t expect a large turnout of people. But when you go to high residential areas, people turn out, particularly as I’m here now in my community, you can see the turnout of the people in this particular unit. So it is in other units.
“But if you go to a commercial area, you don’t expect much people.
“Go to the real areas, more participation is taking place because of the councillorship position.”
