By Lubem Gena, Abuja
The August 30 Rivers State Local Government Elections have been declared “transparent, free, fair and credible” by accredited observers, who described the polls as a historic milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
The declaration is coming from the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), a coalition of 30 civil society and non-governmental organizations that monitored the exercise.
“Our observers can confirm without doubt that this election was transparent, peaceful and consistent with Nigeria’s laws,” said Dr. Nwambu Gabriel Chibuzor, who spoke on behalf of the coalition.
He said the election was held under a state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu, following the Supreme Court’s nullification of the previous exercise. With only 30 days to prepare, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) successfully organized polls across 6,866 polling units, 319 wards, and 23 local government councils.
“This is the first time in Nigeria’s history such a massive election was conducted within a month, and it was done flawlessly under the leadership of Dr. Michael Odey and his team,” Dr. Nwambu noted.
The coalition further praised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for issue-based campaigns free of insults and violence — a rare departure from the past.
Logistics were described as “flawless,” with sensitive and non-sensitive materials reaching even the most remote riverine areas on time.
According to the coalition, voting started early, was orderly, and saw turnout swell by midday despite initial slow numbers.
In what the observers called a “landmark breakthrough,” the polls recorded zero cases of vote buying, ballot snatching or thuggery. “This is unprecedented in recent Nigerian elections,” Chibuzor stressed.
Another highlight was RSIEC’s prompt full payment of all ad-hoc staff within one week — a sharp contrast to past delays that often triggered protests.
The final outcome saw the APC win 20 chairmanship seats while the ruling PDP secured only three, a result the coalition said underscored the credibility of the process.
“This is democracy at its best — free from manipulation and incumbency influence,” the observers declared noting that security agencies were equally commended for professionalism, maintaining order without harassing voters or observers.
The coalition urged Nigeria’s national electoral body to adopt the Rivers model, saying RSIEC’s methods should serve as a blueprint for credible polls nationwide.
“As accredited observers, we proclaim that the August 30 elections were free, fair, credible, and in line with Nigeria’s laws,” Dr. Nwambu concluded.
