The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has issued a directive to all political parties interested in participating in the upcoming local government elections, scheduling their primaries for July 19 and July 24, 2024.

The Commission urged the parties to submit the names of their successful candidates promptly, setting the stage for a competitive and intense electoral process.

The Commissioner in charge of Political Parties and Monitoring RSIEC, Professor Simon Emenike-Wali, addressed local party leaders in a meeting, yesterday, emphasizing the need for transparency in party finances.

He stressed that parties must disclose revenue generated from their primaries to the commission for assessment, promoting accountability and good governance in the electoral process.

Emenike-Wali disclosed that the commission has identified five instances of double nominations, highlighting potential electoral irregularities.

Additionally, he announced that 16 out of the 19 registered political parties have collected interest expression forms, indicating a high level of engagement in the upcoming elections.

He outlined the objectives of the meeting, which included discussing the screening of candidates, the deadline for returning nomination forms, and issues related to tax clearance, aiming to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process.

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He said: “For submission of Venues, 8 and 9 for primaries by political parties is Friday 19th to Wednesday 24th July 2024.

“Parties should correctly fill and return the completed form given to them by RSIEC captioned Particulars of positions to be contested for the 2024 Local Government Council Elections in Rivers State. You have been given that form so notify RSIEC of the venue, date and time for their party primaries.”

Earlier, the Chairman of RSIEC, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, retired, stressed that the Rivers State Internal Revenue Board should issue the tax clearance form free of charge, waiving any fees, to facilitate a hassle-free process for political parties and candidates.

Enebeli emphasized the need for politicians to exhibit a spirit of sportsmanship, prioritizing fairness and respect for the electoral process, to guarantee free, fair, and credible elections that reflect the will of the people.

“The conduct of an election in a democratic society is not a stand-alone function of the commission or commissioners, no, we can not do it, it is with your cooperation,” he said.

Meanwhile, representatives of the political parties present at the meeting underscored the need for RSIEC to resolve the issues of double nominations to prevent unnecessary expenses for parties and individuals.

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