LG Elections: Loyalists of Wike Pour into APC Chairman Positions as RSEIC Unveils Final Roster
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has released the final list of political parties and candidates for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for August 30, 2025. A total of 16 parties have been cleared to participate in the polls.
The parties include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Zenith Party, Accord Party, African Action Congress (AAC), Action People’s Party (APP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Alliance (AA), Youth Party, Young Progressive Party (YPP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), African Democratic Party (ADP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), and Allied People’s Party (APP).
The screening exercise was conducted at the commission's headquarters along Aba Road, Port Harcourt, between August 8 and August 12, 2025. The election is being overseen by RSIEC Chairman Dr. Michael Odey and the Rivers State Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).
The PDP has fielded three chairmanship candidates for the elections. Dr. Gift Worlu will contest in Obio/Akpor (the home LGA of Minister Nyesom Wike), Allwell Ihunda is the candidate for Port Harcourt City LGA, and Chukwu Ogbugu will represent Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA. The APC has presented 20 chairmanship candidates across the state's 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
Reports suggest that about 50 candidates have allegedly withdrawn from the race to back the APC ahead of the polls. However, the RSIEC Chairman did not provide specific details about the number of candidates fielded by each party for the councillorship positions.
In an effort to ensure a credible poll, the RSIEC Chairman sought the collaboration of civil society organisations and security agencies. He urged political parties and their candidates to check the commission's headquarters for the posted names. The election date was set after the Supreme Court nullified the previous local government polls held in 2024.
The RSIEC Chairman did not mention the number of parties that fielded candidates for all chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 23 LGAs. Many of the APC candidates are reported to be loyalists of Wike and previously served as LGA chairmen during his tenure as governor. The other cleared parties, beyond the PDP and APC, did not field candidates for all chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 23 LGAs.
[1] Source: Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) [3] Source: Supreme Court of Nigeria [5] Source: Unnamed sources within the political parties
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