A legal practitioner, Chetam Nwala, has criticised the local government election scheduled for Saturday, 30 August 2025, in Rivers State, arguing that it does not serve the best interests of the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Nwala said: “The election in Rivers State is not in the best interest of Rivers people, and that is why people may not participate.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to restore democracy in the state, stressing that although a boycott might not stop the poll from going ahead, the exercise would still lack legitimacy.
The Rivers State political crisis deepened in March 2025 when President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for six months and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas as sole administrator. The decision drew criticism, with many viewing it as favouring Fubara’s estranged political ally and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
In June, Tinubu met with Fubara, Wike and other stakeholders in Abuja to resolve the conflict. One of the agreements reportedly reached was the conduct of local government elections—an arrangement believed to be influenced by Wike, Fubara’s predecessor.
Nwala insisted the pact between the governor and the FCT minister did not reflect the will of Rivers people.
“We are not fighting for Fubara; we are fighting for the soul of Rivers State. Democracy should be restored, not manipulated to protect the influence of either the governor or the FCT minister,” he said.
He further argued that even if Fubara were reinstated, he could not undo the damage already inflicted on democratic institutions in the state.