Tonye Cole, ex-governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, has expressed concerns over the timing of LG elections in the state.
In July, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) scheduled August 30 for the LG polls in the south-south state.
Earlier, in February, the supreme court had nullified the LG election conducted in Rivers on October 5, 2024 during the administration of Siminalayi Fubara.
The apex court had held that there was no evidence to show that the conditions set out in section 150(3) of the Electoral Act were met before the RSIEC conducted the polls.
In March, President Bola Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy, and the legislative arm for six months over an alleged political crisis in the state.
The president then appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas as the sole administrator with a term limit of six months.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Cole said the six-month tenure of the sole administrator is set to end in September.
He urged for patience, emphasising that holding LG elections while the sole administrator remains in charge of Rivers state affairs would be illegitimate
“The term of the sole administrator, which is six months, is coming to an end. By next month, it will be done,” he said.
“What I would advise is that, allow that time to elapse because in the first instance you have made peace between Governor Siminalayi, and the protagonist, Nyesom Wike. So, there is peace there and that’s where all the crisis was coming from.
“If that peace is real, then the state governor would be returning to office soon, allowing elections to be conducted under a legitimate government.”
He questioned the rationale behind holding LG elections just a month before the sole administrator’s term ends, suggesting it might be a ploy to extend the administrator’s tenure.
“This rush puts everyone in an uncomfortable position. Does it mean Governor Fubara will not return? Is there an extension planned? Or is there a lack of trust in him? Something is wrong, and I don’t trust this process,” he added.(The Cable)
