Breaking News
IPAC Rejects Proposed August 30 Rivers Council Polls
•Urges all political parties to desist from participation
•Says sole administrator has no constitutional right to conduct elections
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, has written to the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), rejecting the proposed local government elections fixed for August 30.
In a letter seen by THISDAY, signed by the National Chairman of the organisation, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle and National Secretary, Maxwell Mgbudem, IPAC maintained that if conducted at this time, the process will make a caricature of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and its institutions.
Describing the proposed local government and councillor polls as illegal and unconstitutional, IPAC stressed that the commission as presently constituted, lacks the legitimate authority to conduct any election in Rivers state.
According to the body, the only constitutionally recognised authority to appoint members of the State Electoral Commission is the governor as confirmed by the State House of Assembly.
“The Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) is the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria with the superior objective to consolidate, strengthen and deepen democracy in Nigeria.
“It is in pursuit of these shared objective of IPAC that we write to you concerning the illegality and unconstitutionality of the proposed Rivers State Council Local Government Area and Councillorship Elections scheduled to hold on the 30th of August, 2025.
“We wish to state most emphatically that the process of conducting the Rivers State Council Elections during this period of emergency rule in the State is to make caricature of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and its institutions.
“t is a common knowledge that His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu on 18th March, 2025, while proclaiming a state of emergency in Rivers State accentuated amongst others issues bordering on security and constitutional breaches and suspended all democratically elected institutions in the State, allowing only the judiciary as the only democratic institution to function.
“ There is no gain-saying that the state of emergency was basically declared to contain the persistent political crises and restore peace and order in Rivers State, which is the paramount responsibility of the Sole Administrator and not go ahead with conducting democratic elections, which in itself could brew further political crises,” the group stressed.
The official communication was also copied to President Tinubu; President of the Senate; Speaker, Federal House of Representatives; Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
IPAC expressed utmost dismay and concern on the resolve to continue on what it described as the part of illegal and unconstitutional exercise with total disregard for Nigeria’s constitutional democratic norms.
It maintained that the commission as presently constituted lacks the legitimate authority to conduct any election in Rivers state as the only constitutionally recognised authority to appoint members of the state electoral commission is the governor and confirmed by the State House of Assembly, all being democratically elected institutions.
“ It is on the strength of the above and many more unconstitutional and illegal steps taken by the Sole Administrator that IPAC as a body geared towards intrenching deep rooted democratic norms in our society do vehemently condemn in its entirety the illegal process of conducting council elections in Rivers State without at first lifting and restoring democratic institutions in the state.
“IPAC arising from its General Assembly meeting strongly wishes to state most unambiguously that we dissociate ourselves from this illegitimate exercise, which threatens our democratic norms and rule of law.
“On this note, IPAC hereby directs all lovers of democracy in Rivers State,especially, and all political parties to desist from participating in the Rivers State council election slated to hold on 30th August, 2025,” the body noted.
IPAC stated that it will explore other legitimate means to ventilate its grievances and concerns, should the commission ignore and disregard what it termed the patriotic and reasonable approach towards calling it to order and restoring sanity in the state.
