Rivers Assembly Condemns RSIEC for Disregarding Court Order on LG Polls

1. The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has criticized the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for refusing to comply with a recent Federal High Court ruling that halted the planned local government elections. The Assembly, during its 55th legislative session, called for the suspension of the polls scheduled for Friday, citing the court’s decision.

In a statement issued by the media aide to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu, the Assembly expressed concern over RSIEC’s disregard for Justice Peter Lifu’s ruling, which ordered the commission to stay action on the elections until all legal provisions were adhered to.

The Assembly accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration of consistently disobeying court orders, adding that RSIEC’s actions reflected a growing trend of lawlessness in the state. The Chairman of the House Committee on Commissions and Agencies, Barile Nwakor, presented a report confirming the court order and noted that the Federal High Court had also barred security agencies from providing support for the elections.

The Assembly members expressed disappointment that RSIEC, headed by a retired judge, was ignoring a federal court order. Speaker Amaewhule condemned Governor Fubara’s directive to proceed with the elections despite the court’s decision, warning that Rivers State was at risk of descending into lawlessness.

The Assembly called on RSIEC to respect the law and suspend the elections until the legal issues are resolved.