Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), a coalition of 30 civil society and Non Governmental Organizations and an accredited election observer for the 30th August, 2025 Rivers State Local Government Elections on Wednesday declared that poll was transparent and credible.
To this end, the coalition of RSIEC accredited observer organizations, asserted that “we hereby make this solemn proclamation: The August 30, 2025, Local Government Elections actually held across the 8,616 Polling Units, the 319 Electoral Wards, and the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State, and this election was transparent, free, fair, and credible and consistent with the extant laws, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG, Director General of CCLCA, Dr Gabriel Nwambu disclosed this while briefing the press on the pre-election and post-election report of the Rivers State, local government polls.
Nwambu stated that: “We are also here to make a proclamation on the integrity test of the exercise that took place on August 30, 2025.
“First and foremost, we must highlight the extraordinary circumstances under which these elections were conducted. Following the Supreme Court’s nullification of the previous election, a fresh poll was mandated to take place amidst a state of emergency in Rivers State.
“This state of emergency was declared by the President and Commander -in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, by virtue of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) and the invocation of the Emergency Powers Act (1961 No.1). As gazetted in the High Court of Lagos State, this act legally empowered the government to take extraordinary measures to restore public order and safety, including mandating the RSIEC to conduct the elections within an exceptionally tight 30-day timeframe.
The CCLCA DG further explained that: “This was a task we, as a civil society organization, considered Herculean.
“An election of this magnitude, covering 8,616 polling units, 319 electoral wards, and 23 local government councils, would ordinarily take the nation’s electoral management body at least a year to prepare for.
“However, under the exemplary and visionary leadership of the RSIEC Chairman, Dr. Michael Odey and his erudite team of commissioners, the Commission achieved this milestone within the stipulated period.
“This is the first time in the history of Nigeria an election of such magnitude is achieved within a short space of time.
“Dr. Odey and his team demonstrated an unprecedented level of professionalism, competence, and commitment to the democratic process.
“Our observations, conducted by a total of 830 observers recruited and trained at the RSIEC headquarters on the Dos and Don’ts of Election Observation were deployed across the state.
“The observers deployed to the field were able to report observations online and real time and these reports were meticulously documented in our Observation report which was submitted the RSIEC.
Key highlighs:
Pre-Election Observations:
*We observed that the campaigns by the dominant political parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC), were purely issue-based. This is different from previous campaigns where candidates attack personalities and individuals instead of focusing on their manifestos. We commend these candidates and their political parties for their commitment to an issue-based campaign. This was a significant and welcome departure from the past.
*We observed a complete absence of pre-election related violence, tension, or fear, which allowed citizens to go about their normal activities freely.
*We observed the movement of sensitive and non sensitive election materials from the RSIEC Headquarters to the Local Government Areas, then to the RAC Centres and to the Polling Units on the Election Day.
The logistical preparations were flawless. The distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, even to difficult riverine terrains, was well-managed and timely.
Election Day Observations:
*We witnessed the early commencement of voting activities across most polling units, with presiding officers and other ad-hoc staff seen in polling units between 8:30 and 9.30am.
*The accreditation and voting process started promptly and was orderly, a testament to the efficient training and planning by RSIEC.
*The reported voter apathy was unfounded. While turnout was initially slow in commercial areas, it increased significantly as the day progressed, reaching an impressive level by noon.
*A landmark observation was the complete absence of electoral malpractices. There was no thuggery, no ballot box snatching, and no vote buying. This is the first time to record these observations at least in the recent past in Nigeria.
“We also observed the the Management of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission has paid all the ad-hoc staff who participated either as Presiding officers.
“We commend the law enforcement agencies for their professionalism and adherence to the rule of engagement. They were friendly and non-intrusive, ensuring the security of the process without molesting voters or observers.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
The outcome of this election, where the ruling PDP secured 3 chairmanship seats and the opposition APC won 20, is a resounding testament to the transparency and fairness of the process. It is a powerful demonstration of democracy at its best. This result, uninfluenced by incumbency, speaks volumes about the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
We also commend the electorates of Rivers State for their peaceful and law-abiding conduct.
In light of these observations afore mentioned, we have made a crucial recommendation: the exemplary approach adopted by the RSIEC in this election should be adopted as a national model for effective and credible electoral management in Nigeria.
Finally, as a coalition of RSIEC accredited observer organizations, we hereby make this solemn proclamation: The August 30, 2025, Local Government Elections actually held across the 8, Polling Units, the 319 Electoral Wards, and the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State, and this election was transparent, free, fair, and credible and consistent with the extant laws, Federal Republic of Nigeria.