A frontline human rights organization in Port Harcourt, Pilex Center, has warned Rivers People off the planned local government elections scheduled for the state by the sole administrator, Ibaas, in August.
Speaking through a press release dated July 21, 2025, Courage Nsirimovu, Pilex Center Executive Director, described the proposed election as illegal, unconstitutional, and billed to be a waste of Rivers’ human and financial resources.
Urging Nigerians and Rivers people to revisit the recent utterances of the Vice President of the Federation, Shettima, who spoke up at a book launch in veiled condemnation of President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, Pilex restated that the president has no right to declare that state of emergency.
Consequently, the imposition of a sole administrator and attempts by him to reconstitute the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission to oversee the said election, is an anomalies.
The Peoples Advocate further noted that activities lined up for the election, like the party primaries to pick candidates, have not been held and pointed out that only an elected governor, as provided by the constitution of Nigeria, can conduct local government elections.
According to the body, the sole duty of a sole administrator is to maintain peace.
Full text of the Pilex Statement reads:
“Pilex Centre is aware of the plan by the illegitimate Sole Administrator in Rivers State to conduct the Local Government Elections.
It is the view of Pilex Centre that the unconstitutional Sole Administrator doesn’t have the constitutional powers to set up RSIEC as stipulated in S. 198 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (As amended). Only an elected Governor can set up such a body.
The job of the unlawful Sole-Administrator is to ensure peace in a state that was not at war. However, he has moved beyond his mandate to do the job of delivering the political and economic structure of Rivers State to some very greedy politician whom he acts in proxy for”.
The powers of the President of Nigeria under S. 305 to declare a State of Emergency is in no way expanded to include the power to suspend or remove a sitting Governor duly elected by the people.
In the case of A.G Federation V A.G Lagos State and A.G Plateau State V A.G Federation, the Court stated that the President has no powers to suspend or remove a sitting Governor.
Pilex Centre invites Nigerians to listen to the recent statement of the Vice President of Nigeria, Mr. Shetimma, who told Nigerians that, “ President Jonathan wanted to remove me as Governor through emergency rule order, but the then Attorney General and Speaker informed him that he doesn’t have the power to remove even an elected councilor.”
Taking a cue from the foregoing, it is apparent that the President of Nigeria acted in impunity against the Constitution of Nigeria and good people of Rivers State; hence, the Sole Administrator is a fruit of a poisonous tree, a bad product of crass illegality and brash impunity.
As such, every action taken by the Sole Ad, on the quicksand which he stands, will fall with him and drown without any remedy whatsoever.
Hence, we call on the people of Rivers State to stay away from this illegal regime and its unlawful actions by boycotting the proposed unlawful Local Government Election.
Pilex Centre has looked at the election timetable and seen that Party Primaries, Nominations, Campaigns, slated for April, May, and June, have not been conducted. One wonders what sham they intend to do.
Pilex Centre hereby warns the Sole Ad not to waste taxpayers’ money as the proposed unlawful election will be challenged in court and thrown away as another waste of time and resources of Rivers People.
We reiterate that Rivers People should not waste their time voting because the election will not stand.
