By Chidimma Okwara
On Saturday, August 30, 2025, Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, cast his vote at Polling Unit 007, Ward 9 in Rumuepirikom, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, and subsequently praised the conduct and turnout of the ongoing local government (LG) elections in the state.
Wike lauded President Bola Tinubu for ensuring the elections adhered strictly to constitutional mandates—particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling that caretaker committees in LGAs are unconstitutional. “Since the Supreme Court has said there is nothing like caretaker committees in local governments, if there are no elected people, funds will not come from the Federation Account to the local government accounts,” Wike emphasized.
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He reiterated that these polls are vital to guaranteeing that councils receive direct federal allocations, a critical component of robust grassroots governance, especially ahead of the scheduled lifting of emergency rule on September 18.
The minister commended the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for orchestrating a credible, orderly, and transparent election process. He expressed delight at the high voter turnout across residential and rural areas, distinguishing these from the predictably lower participation observed in commercial zones.
Wike reported that his personal community had demonstrated strong participation, and he had received similar positive feedback from rural wards across the state.
Addressing concerns about potential legal challenges to the election, Wike dismissed them, noting that the process was firmly rooted in the law. “Today we are holding an election that is known to law… now that the process is very clear and known to law, nobody is worried,” he declared .
He expressed confidence that elected representatives would emerge and be sworn in promptly, completing the formal governance structure and restoring full local government functionality once the emergency rule lapses.
These elections carry added significance given the backdrop of emergency rule imposed on Rivers State in March 2025. President Tinubu suspended the state’s governor, deputy governor, and House of Assembly, deploying Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) as the sole administrator with a mandate to restore stability .
Ibas’s administration views the LG elections as key to reinstating democratic and fiscal normalcy at the grassroots. He praised the electoral process as peaceful and orderly—a firm stride toward restoring full democracy in Rivers State.
