Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared Thursday, October 3, and Friday, October 4, 2024, as public holidays to allow residents to travel to their communities and participate in the local government elections set for Saturday, October 5.
Along with the holidays, the governor announced a strict restriction on vehicular movement from midnight on Friday, October 4, until 5 p.m. on Election Day to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections.
Fubara made this announcement during a statewide broadcast at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
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The details were contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, and shared with the media.
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.”
He referenced a Supreme Court ruling from July 2024, which declared the administration of local government councils by unelected officers illegal.
The judgment required an immediate cessation of statutory allocations to councils lacking democratically elected officials.
With Mr. President’s intervention, the period for compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgement was extended by three months, which expires on October 31, 2024,” the governor said.
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Following this directive, Fubara instructed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to finalize plans for conducting local government elections across the state.
He confirmed that the electoral body had completed all necessary preparations for the elections, scheduled for 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.
Fubara stressed that 17 out of the 18 registered political parties, including the All Progressives Congress, had demonstrated 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.
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