27 parties to participate in Rivers council polls, says RSIEC

THE Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) yesterday said it has received Expression of Interest (EoI) forms from 27 political parties for the local council elections in the state scheduled to hold on Saturday, May 23, 2015 in 22 of the 23 local councils.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Tonye Princewill, have expressed lack of confidence in the commission to conduct credible, free and fair elections.

RSIEC Commissioner, Media and Public Affairs, Ibiso Dakoru, who yesterday stated that 27 political parties have indicated their interest to participate in the local council elections in the state, which some stakeholders in the state have kicked against because they assumed it contravenes the 90 days notice stipulated in the constitution, said: “Twenty-seven out of the 28 registered political parties in the country have collected and submitted EoI forms to the commission. The political parties are to submit the date, time and venue of their primaries to RSIEC headquarters between Monday, April 27 and Tuesday, April 28, 2015.”

She explained that the commission is committed to a free, fair, transparent and credible local council election and urged all the parties to abide by the rules. She also assured residents of the commitment of security agencies and other stakeholders in ensuring a peaceful election in the state.

Meanwhile, the PDP, Rivers State Chapter, has described the planned conduct of the council elections in the 22 local councils in the state as illegal, provocative and a waste of resources, adding that the anxiety, suspicion and distrust which the rush to conduct the polls is generating since RSIEC announced the date, show that the state is not ready for the exercise.