Rivers Local Government Elections: What Voters Said

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) under the chairmanship of Dr. Michael Odey on Saturday August 30, 2025 conducted the Local Government in the 319 Wards across 23 local government areas.
The elections were largely peaceful and rancour-free but they came under severe criticisms by opposition elements, which boycotted the elections citing reasons ranging from lack of neutrality of the electoral commission to legal issues bogging the process.
At the end of the polls, the government parties, All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 20 and three chairmanship seats respectively.
On the day of the elections, National Point covered the polling and spoke with some of the voters and stakeholders.
At Abonnema in Unit 3, Ward 4 in Akuku-Toru LGA, Madam Precious Jack said that she decided to participate in the 2025 LGA polls because it is her civic right to cast her votes for any candidate of her choice.
Also speaking, Nath Odum Don Pedro of Unit 3, Ward 4 said that the electoral materials arrived at about 8:00 am and accreditation commended immediately, pointing out that he believed that his vote would count.
He commended RSIEC officials for conducting a hitch-free election adding that the election was free and fair.
The chairmanship candidate of APC in Akuku-Toru LGA, Mr. Aboiya Bob-Fubara said that the process of the LG polls in the 13 Wards of the LGA was smooth and electoral materials arrived on time.
“I want to say that the process leading to the conduct of this LG election is smooth. In fact, both sensitive and non-sensitive materials arrived on time across this LGA and materials distributed evenly.”
Mr. Bob-Fubara who cast his vote in Unit 11, Ward 6 of AKULGA had this to say, “I have just cast my vote in my unit and ward. And you can also see that all the RSIEC officials and security agencies are all here to carry out their functions. I want to also commend the people of AKULGA for coming out en mass to exercise their franchise. We should also assist political part agents to do a good job or supervise the process well.”
The leader of the Martin Amaewhule faction of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA), Chief Major Jack said that he would score RSIEC officials at his unit 70 percent based on how they handled both sensitive and non-sensitive materials in the ward, adding that RSIEC officials were swift and prompt.
Chief Jack who cast his vote in unit 5, ward 11 stated that in his unit and ward they are a family, hence the need to elect a new councillor for the ward who is from a different political party.
On the political direction of Rivers political class ahead of the 2027 general elections, Chief Jack went further, “I support the trajectory of socio-economic development under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration. Besides, I believe in the slogan of Rivers State is for Tinubu and Tinubu is for Rivers State.”
He expressed satisfaction with the presence of police officers during the election in Abonnema.
The former chairman of AKULGA, Dr. Roland Sekibo said that the choice of Mr. Bob-Fubara to be the Akulga APC chairmanship candidate was a consensus by the political leaders of the LGA because Mr. Bob-Fubara had served in the council as CSO and also had cognate experience about LGA administration.
Roland Sekibo who exercised his civic right in Unit 1 Ward 1 had this to say about the 2025 Rivers LGA polls, “As a political scientist I want to tell you that if the political system is working all other systems in the state or country will also work simultaneously. The level of preparation by the RSIEC officials is top notch.”
At Unit 1, Ward 7 in Abonnema, the APC chairmanship candidate, Mr. Dickson Senibo said that the turnout of voters at the poll was impressive. He expressed optimism that he was going to win because he was born in the area.
The APC chairman of Degema, Mr. Ekeni Michael stated Degema is made up of 17 wards and 4 are in the consulate while the remaining 13 wards are in riverine hence the difficulty in starting election early in the 13 wards. He described Degema LGA as a true Rivers State.
He expressed satisfaction with the turnout of the electorate at the polls. His counterpart of Asari-Toru (ASALGA) LGA (APC chairman), Pastor Young Clark said that for the people of the LGA to have come out to vote was an indication that people cherish the ideal of a free and democratic society in this part of the world, pointing out that there was no incidence of political violence or thuggery.
Pastor Clark who cast his vote in Unit 22, Ward 13 explained that the mix or balance or even on alignment (Rainbow coalition) in the state meant that opposition was not possible in the nearest future.
A former member of RSHA and former commissioner in the state, Chief Michael West who cast his vote in Unit 4 Ward 9 commended RSIEC officials and ad-hoc staff for a job well done.
In his submission, the Head of Amachree House (War Canoe House), Chief Flagg-Amachree stated that they did not only come out to vote but also to monitor the election.
He commended the people of the LGA for their peaceful co-existence despite their political affiliation. At Ward 1, ASALGA Anderson George who marched and protested from one ward to another ward said that they would not vote because RSIEC officials failed to provide the result sheet, pointing out that without the sheets they would not vote.
Anderson George also said that it was the same blunder and mistake RSIEC made in the October 5, 2024 LGA polls RSIEC conducted under Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Our correspondent reports that the August 30th local government LG polls RSIEC used the 2018 Rivers State Electoral Act.
National Point can authoritatively report that the previous Rivers State Local government elections was conducted on October 5, 2024 under the supervision of Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli as Chairman of RSIEC.