Rivers residents drag Tinubu, Ibas, RSIEC to court over planned LG election

Opposition to the planned August 30 local government elections in Rivers State has intensified, with some residents taking legal action to stop the poll.

A group of indigenes of the state has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rivers State Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

In their submission, the plaintiffs argued that the current political and security situation in the state is unsuitable for conducting a credible local government election. They are urging the court to intervene and halt the process until conditions are deemed favorable for a free and fair poll.

The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2025 was filed for the plaintiffs by their lawyer, Sunday Ezema.

Listed as plaintiffs are Fredrick Ededeh, Benita Samuel, Jane Madubuike, Boma Aggo and Comfort Agbom.

They want the court to, among others, determine whether the election could be lawfully conducted during the period of a state of emergency.

The plaintiffs recalled that President Tinubu, while declaring the state of emergency, stated that there is “clear and present danger or imminent breakdown of public order and public safety” and “clear and present danger of the looming crises” which has affected “good governance, peace, security and order” in the state.