Trending 
The legality of the local council elections in Rivers State has been brought into question by a legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Kabir Akingbolu.
On Saturday’s episode of “Breakfast Xtra” on News Central TV, Akingbolu argued that the hurried nature of the LG election and its conduct by an unelected administrator raise serious concerns about its validity and fairness.
Akingbolu’s comments come amidst a state of emergency that has seen the democratically elected governor, Siminalayi Fubara, suspended.
With Fubara expected to return on September 19, the analyst questioned the rationale behind rushing the election process.
“Why should we rush to do an election? It should have been conducted by him so that people would see,” he stated, emphasising the importance of visible justice and a legitimate process.
He further described the administrator overseeing the elections as a “stranger” imposed on the people without their consent.
Akingbolu highlighted the administrator’s lack of a campaign or a mandate from the populace, a situation he believes undermines the democratic foundation of the polls.
“You are now conducting an election by a stranger,” he said, noting that while the law may have brought the administrator to power, his unelected status makes the election process inherently unfair.
When asked if the LG election would be null and void due to a lack of a 90-day notice, Akingbolu was unequivocal.
He stated that the issue of notice is “sacrosanct and very germane” to the validity of any Nigerian election. The failure to provide the requisite notice, he argued, invalidates the election because it denies other political parties a fair opportunity to prepare and participate.
“You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay; it will certainly collapse,” he warned, underscoring the legal principle that a flawed foundation leads to an invalid outcome.
