The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State, describing them as a blatant disregard for democratic norms. In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, ADC’s state chairman, Leader Sampson, expressed the party’s outrage over the election process, which he claimed was marred by illegality and unconstitutionality.
Sampson stated that the ADC did not participate in the August 30 elections due to the process’s illegality and expressed the party’s readiness to challenge the outcome in court. He described the election as an attempt by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to impose his preferred candidates on the people of Rivers State, labeling it a desperate act of political manipulation.
The party highlighted a glaring contradiction in the election process, noting that INEC had previously cited safety concerns and an emergency rule in the state as reasons for not conducting elections in Khana Constituency 2 during national bye-elections. Sampson questioned how the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) could then claim to conduct elections across all 23 local government areas under the same conditions.
Furthermore, Sampson pointed out that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of parts of the Constitution midway through the process was a clear indication of the election’s unlawfulness. This move, he argued, set a dangerous precedent in any democracy, amounting to changing the rules mid-game.
The ADC chairman emphasized that Rivers State has been subjected to various forms of political manipulation, from the unlawful state of emergency to the removal of a democratically elected governor and the recent mockery of an election. He asserted that the people of Rivers State have had enough and are resolute in their determination to resist until their rights are restored and democracy is secured.
The party called on all lovers of democracy to recognize this as a critical moment and urged its members to remain steadfast and resolute. The ADC vowed to fight for the freedom, future, and soul of Rivers State, determined to challenge the brazen subversion of democracy
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