The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has confirmed that there is no court judgment preventing local government elections from taking place on October 5, 2024. RSIEC Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd.), made this assertion during a training session for master trainers in Port Harcourt.
This announcement comes in response to claims made by Tony Okocha, the dismissed chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okocha had stated that ongoing litigation regarding the elections would prevent their conduct. He also cited a statement from the reinstated state party executive, led by Emeka Beka, suggesting that the executive’s decision to participate in the elections was isolated and contrary to the party’s official stance.
Enebeli, however, dismissed Okocha’s assertions, affirming that the October 5 election date is firm. He noted that 18 out of 19 political parties will be participating, with over 300 candidates vying for various positions.
“There is no court judgment restraining us from conducting elections,” Enebeli emphasized, referencing a recent Supreme Court ruling that mandated the conduct of democratically elected local government councils across all states that have not yet held such elections. He reiterated, “The Supreme Court has stated that we must conduct elections, and the consequences will follow if we do not.”
According to Enebeli, Section 60(2) of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Law of 2018 specifies that no court proceedings can hinder the conduct of elections. He affirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is responsible for providing the necessary voter register to the RSIEC.
“The date of October 5, 2024, is as invariable and sacrosanct as it gets,” Enebeli concluded, assuring that the election will adhere to the provisions of the SIEC Law.
