The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission has announced October 5 as the date for the conduct of local government elections.
This announcement comes at a critical time, as Rivers State is currently grappling with a significant local government succession crisis.
The crisis stems from a conflict between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule.
The Governor recently inaugurated caretaker committees to manage the affairs of the local government areas. However, this move has been met with resistance from the ousted local government chairmen, who are still claiming their positions based on a six-month tenure extension granted by the Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
To prevent violent clashes, the police have taken control of all 23 local government secretariats in the state. This precautionary measure will remain in place pending the forthcoming judgment of the Court of Appeal, which is expected to provide further clarity on the situation.
Details later…