Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State Governor has announced Thursday, October 3, and Friday, October 4, 2024, as public holidays to enable residents to travel to their various communities and participate in the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5.
Governor Fubara made the announcement in a statewide broadcast at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.
The governor in addition to the holiday announced a strict restriction on vehicular movement, starting from midnight on Friday, October 4, to 5 p.m. on Election Day, to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections.
A statement released by Nelson Chukwudi, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, has been shared with the press.
The statement read, “My dear people of Rivers State, following the expiration of the three-year tenure of the Chairmen and Councilors of the 23 Local Government Councils on June 17, 2023, I lawfully instituted Caretaker Committees to temporarily administer the councils pending the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s conduct of Local Government elections.”
The governor highlighted a landmark Supreme Court ruling from July 2024, which declared that local government councils cannot be run by unelected officials.
This judgment directed an immediate stop to statutory allocations to councils lacking democratically elected leaders. Following the President's intervention, the compliance deadline was extended by three months, now set to expire on October 31, 2024.
As a result of the extension, Fubara directed RSIEC to make definitive plans to conduct the local government elections across the state.
The governor also explained that the electoral body had completed all necessary preparations for the elections, which would take place on October 5, 2024.
The legal standing of RSIEC to conduct these elections was further solidified by a Rivers State High Court judgement on September 4, 2024, which directed the use of the 2023 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Voters’ Register,” the Governor added.
The governor emphasized that 17 out of the 18 registered political parties, including the All Progressives Congress, had shown their willingness to participate in the elections by submitting candidates.
“Over 10 states have conducted local government elections using the 2023 INEC Voters’ Register since the Supreme Court’s judgement, and Rivers State cannot be an exception,” he said.
