A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has affirmed that the August 30, 2025, local government elections in the state were both constitutional and legitimate.
Delivering judgment, Justice Stephen Jumbo dismissed a suit filed by Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Williams Stanley, who had challenged the legality of the polls.
Stanley had argued that the appointments of the state’s Sole Administrator by President Bola Tinubu, as well as the nominations of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) chairman and members, rendered the elections invalid.
However, Justice Jumbo ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter, noting that under Nigeria’s constitution, only the Supreme Court has the authority to determine such suits during emergency rule.
He further held that the claimant lacked the locus standi to institute the case, as he failed to demonstrate any personal or civil rights violation, nor any direct injury or hardship arising from the conduct of the elections.
Justice Jumbo emphasized that the interests Stanley sought to protect were not personal but rather those of the governor, an office he did not occupy.
The court also clarified that the August 30 elections were conducted by RSIEC, not by the governor or the sole administrator. No costs were awarded against the claimant.
