Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown his weight behind a growing wave of outrage over the planned local government elections in Rivers State — a process to be conducted under the authority of a Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibas Ibok-Ete (Rtd), whose appointment is widely regarded as unconstitutional.
The elections, scheduled for August 30, 2025, have been condemned by political leaders, civil society groups, and democracy advocates as a direct assault on Nigeria’s constitutional order.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku warned that the move was not just a Rivers State issue, but a dangerous precedent with nationwide implications.
> “It is in one’s interest to help put out the fire in your neighbour’s house to safeguard your own,” Atiku wrote. “What is playing out in Rivers State — with an illegal Sole Administrator, unknown to our Constitution, conducting council elections — is an absurdity that must be condemned unequivocally.”
His remarks came shortly after respected business leader Atedo Peterside voiced similar concerns, stressing that the Federal Government must avoid “making nonsense of democracy in Nigeria” by allowing Rivers to become a test case for lawlessness.
> “Enough is enough. This Sole Administrator has no mandate,” Peterside declared.
Earlier, a coalition of Rivers political elders and civic leaders, including former deputy governor Engr. Tele Ikuru and former governor Celestine Omehia, issued a scathing joint statement to President Bola Tinubu, describing the planned polls as “a serious threat to democracy” and “a brazen flouting of the Nigerian Constitution.”
The group alleged that:
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) is not legally constituted in accordance with the RSIEC Law of 2018 and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The Chairman and members of RSIEC can only be appointed by a democratically elected Governor, with confirmation by the State House of Assembly — a process currently impossible due to the suspension of Rivers’ executive and legislative arms.
The mandatory 90-day notice period for elections, stipulated under Section 20 of the RSIEC Law, has been ignored. No proper timetable, nomination process, or candidate notification has been issued.
The stakeholders also noted that ongoing court cases challenge both the appointment of the Sole Administrator and the legality of the RSIEC, making the planned elections sub judice.
> “If INEC itself would not conduct a by-election under these conditions, how can anyone justify holding local government polls unrelated to any genuine emergency?” the group asked.
They further argued that Section 7(1) of the Constitution grants states — not federally appointed agents — exclusive authority to conduct local council elections, warning that such usurpation is “ultra vires, void, and unenforceable” under established legal precedents such as Adewumi v. Plastex Ltd and Okafor v. Umeh.
With Rivers State already in what the stakeholders describe as a “constitutional crisis” and “de facto state of emergency” due to federal interventions, critics say the August 30 elections could further destabilize the region and erode public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
For Atiku, Peterside, and other voices of dissent, the message is clear: democracy cannot be sustained by unconstitutional shortcuts. The Rivers situation, they warn, is not an isolated drama but a stress test for Nigeria’s entire democratic framework — one the nation cannot afford to fail.
PIONEER NEWS 