A coalition of civil society organisations has condemned the planned local government elections in Rivers State, describing the move by the state’s Sole Administrator and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as unconstitutional and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic order.
At a joint press conference in Abuja, the Alliance of Civil Society Organisations for Expansion of Electoral and Democratic Space (ACCESS) and the Speak Out Africa Initiative (SOAI) urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt the August 30, 2025, elections.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Engr. Kenneth Eze, Executive Director of SOAI, called the proposed elections “a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic framework,” citing violations of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
“The imposition of a Sole Administrator in place of an elected governor is void ab initio. That an unelected administrator now seeks to conduct elections is a serious affront to democracy,” Eze said.
The coalition pointed out that RSIEC’s 21-day notice for the elections—issued on July 28—contravenes Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act, which mandates a minimum 30-day and maximum 90-day window prior to the expiration of local council tenures. They also cited a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated similar elections in October 2024 over procedural violations.
“Any election conducted under a legally questionable administration is illegitimate and will not survive judicial scrutiny. It risks destabilizing the state and eroding public trust in democratic institutions,” the coalition warned.
The CSOs further criticised the federal government’s silence since it declared a controversial state of emergency in Rivers State, which they argue led to the unconstitutional removal of the elected governor and appointment of a Sole Administrator.
They called on President Tinubu to lift the state of emergency, reinstate the elected governor, and restore constitutional order in Rivers State.
“Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution is clear: no part of Nigeria shall be governed outside the Constitution,” the coalition emphasised, urging a suspension of preparations for the LG elections and calling on all stakeholders to defend Nigeria’s democracy.
