As part of its obligations to conduct local government elections, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has concluded plans to conduct local government council elections in the state on Saturday, June 16, 2018.
The Chairman/Chief Electoral Commissioner of RSIEC, Justice C.I. Uriri (rtd), who announced the decision of the commission during a stakeholders meeting, yesterday, said this was to comply with the 90-day mandatory notice as stipulated by the electoral laws, adding that the next elections come up in June, this year.
Uriri urged political parties to abide by the rules of the game and avoid violence in all its ramifications as the commission was committed to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
According to him, ‘’The right to vote is the constitutional right of the electorate and we should encourage one another to turn up en mass and ensure that law-abiding and well-meaning citizens are voted into offices.”
The RSIEC chairman re-affirmed the commitment of the state electoral commission to perform its obligations in line with the aspirations of the electorate.
He noted that the idea of the local government elections in the state was that for quite sometime, there has not been local government elections, stressing that there was need for democratically elected local government councils in the state.
Uriri reminded political parties that his board was the 4th since the creation of the commission, saying that the stakeholders’ meeting was its maiden appearance in respect of pre-election matters.
‘’For the avoidance of doubt, our function as an election management body could be subsumed, thus, to organise, undertake and supervise every election into local government councils’’, he said.
While responding, the state Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Samuel Ihunwo, commended the commission for its boldness in coming up with plans for local government elections, assuring that the majority of the political parties in the state would abide by the timetable and guidelines for the elections.
Ihunwo said IPAC was ready to help the commission succeed, adding that they will go back home and inform party members while commencing preparations for primaries and the election proper.
Also speaking, Publicity Secretary of IPAC, Deacon Princewill Enyi commended the commission for the timely release of the election timetable, and charged RSIEC to provide level playing ground for all political parties willing to participate in the elections.
Enyi, who is also the state Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), assured that his party would field candidates for all elective positions in the elections.
While the Social Democratic Party (SPD) enjoined all political parties to abide by the timetable, it urged politicians to avoid violence during and after the elections.
The Tide gathered that the process for the 2018 local government elections commenced yesterday with the expression of interest by political parties, while the parties are expected to submit venue, date and time for party primaries on Monday, April 9.
The timetable released by the commission also indicated that Monday, April 16, is for party primary election as stipulated in the RSIEC Law No 2 of 2018.
Issuance of nomination forms to candidates for chairmanship and councillorship elections will hold on April 18, while last day for return of nomination forms by political parties was also indicated in the document made available to all political parties at the stakeholders’ meeting.