The Rivers State House of Assembly has extended its ultimatum to the chairman and commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), giving them an additional 72 hours to appear before the lawmakers.
This decision, reached during a plenary session on Friday, followed the expiration of an earlier 48-hour deadline issued on March 5. The Assembly had summoned the RSIEC officials to explain the circumstances surrounding the annulment of the October 5, 2024, local government election by the Supreme Court.
Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol moved a motion to suspend the House’s scheduled recess to ensure RSIEC officials, led by Justice Adolphus Enebeli, are available for questioning. The new deadline extends to Monday, March 10.
Meanwhile, Speaker Martin Amaewhule also criticized Governor Siminalayi Fubara for failing to present the 2025 budget to the House, despite receiving a separate 48-hour ultimatum. He warned that the lawmakers would take necessary legislative action in response to the governor’s inaction.
The Supreme Court had invalidated the 2024 local government election in Rivers State due to RSIEC’s non-compliance with the Electoral Act. The electoral body has since announced August 9, 2025, as the date for a fresh poll, but has not responded to the Assembly’s summons.
