A COALITION of prominent Rivers State stakeholders has raised the alarm over the planned conduct of local government elections in the state, describing the process as unconstitutional, illegal, and a direct threat to Nigeria’s democratic framework.
In a strongly worded open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made available to News Point Nigeria, the group under the banner of Major Stakeholders called for urgent intervention to halt the election, which is slated for August 30, 2025.
The letter, titled “Rivers LG Election: A Serious Threat To Democracy And Repeated Violations Of The Constitution – Urgent Warning From Major Stakeholders,” accused the current political leadership in Rivers of violating established legal procedures and flouting constitutional provisions in their bid to stage the election.
Among the signatories are respected figures from diverse walks of life and backgrounds, including Atedo Peterside, Celestine Omehia, Prince Uche Secondus, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Senator Andrew Uchendu, and Engr Tele Ikuru.
The stakeholders decried what they described as a deliberate erosion of constitutional governance, saying the attempt to conduct local government polls under the current circumstances is tantamount to “an existential assault on our democracy.”
They warned that the process, reportedly being championed by a “Sole Administrator” with no constitutional legitimacy endangers not just the rule of law in Rivers State, but the entire federal system of Nigeria.
“This is more than an election; it is a confrontation between the rule of law and political impunity,” the letter stated.
Central to the group’s concerns is the absence of a legally constituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), as required by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission Law (2018).
Citing Sections 2, 3, 5, and 12 of the RSIEC law and Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)—the stakeholders argued that only a legally elected Governor, upon confirmation by the State House of Assembly, is empowered to appoint RSIEC officials.
Any commission constituted outside this framework, they argued, is “null and void.”
Furthermore, they pointed out that RSIEC failed to meet the mandatory 90-day notice requirement before any election, as stipulated in Section 20 of the RSIEC law. Instead, an election date was hurriedly announced for August 30, without any formal notification of nomination deadlines or polling timetables.
“This mirrors the 2024 scenario, where elections were annulled by the Supreme Court due to procedural infractions,” the group warned.
The stakeholders also emphasized that multiple legal cases are currently before the Supreme Court and Federal High Court, challenging both the validity of the RSIEC and the legality of the Sole Administrator’s role.
Proceeding with elections while the courts are still adjudicating, they warned, would be tantamount to subverting the judicial process.
“How can elections go ahead under the guise of an ’emergency’ when the legal foundation of the process itself is under judicial scrutiny?” they asked.
Another major concern raised in the letter is what the stakeholders described as the “federal suspension” of Rivers State’s executive and legislative branches, a development they say has plunged the state into a de facto constitutional crisis.
In such a climate, they argued, even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been reluctant to conduct federal or state by-elections. They questioned how local government elections unrelated to any emergency could proceed in such a setting.
The group also invoked the doctrine of agency, arguing that any authority exercised by the “Sole Administrator” lacks constitutional backing and is therefore “ultra vires and void.”
Quoting legal precedents such as Adewumi v. Plastex Ltd. and Okafor v. Umeh, the stakeholders insisted that an agent can only act within powers expressly granted. In this case, they said, no such powers exist.
The letter concluded with a clarion call to President Tinubu, the National Assembly, the judiciary, civil society, the media, and the international community to intervene decisively before the situation escalates.
“Rivers State stands at a crossroads: surrender to impunity or uphold the Constitution and the will of the people. The choice is ours and the stakes could not be higher,” they warned.
Other signatories to the open letter include Prince Fafaa Dan Princewill, Engr. Bekinbo Dagogo Jack, Hon. Randolph Iwo Brown, Dr. Austin Tam-George, Donu Kogbara, Dr. Sokonte Davies, Dr. Glory Emeh, George Feyii, Hon. Honourable Asita, Surv. Sam Agwor, and Ann-Kio Briggs.