The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced a new date for the 2025 local government elections, shifting the polls from the earlier scheduled August 9 to Saturday, August 30, 2025. RSIEC Chairman, Michael Odey, made the announcement on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, where the updated electoral timetable and guidelines were also presented.

Odey explained that the decision to postpone the election was driven by the recent state of emergency declared in the state, which disrupted the commission’s original plans. He emphasized the need to realign the electoral calendar to reflect the current realities. The revised schedule now includes fresh dates for political party primaries, candidate screening, campaigns, and the main election day.

According to the new guidelines, political parties are to hold their primaries between July 31 and August 3, 2025, with candidate submissions expected by August 4. Campaigns will officially commence on August 12, while ad-hoc staff recruitment is slated for August 16. The final list of candidates will be displayed on August 20. Party leaders, election observers, and media stakeholders attended the meeting to review the changes and prepare for the upcoming polls.