Fiery human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Mr. Joe Nwokedi has added his voice to the recent conduct of the Rivers State Local Government Election.

The lawyer, known for his candid views on burning national issues, has vowed that the recently conducted Rivers State Local Government Election complied with the basic requirements of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution as amended, the Electoral Act and other laws, procedures and rules governing conduct of elections in Nigeria.

He noted that Section 197 of the Constitution provides for the establishment of State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and empowered the commission to conduct elections to Local Government Council.

His words: “The SIEC as outlined in the 1999 constitution is to organize local government council elections within the state and advise the INEC on the compilation of and register of voters concerning Local Government elections in the state, as contained in the Item B, Paragraph 4, Part 11 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as Amended).

“The SIEC is empowered to clearly determine how elections are to be conducted in Local Governments of every State of the Federation.”

According to the human rights lawyer, “SIEC, which is constitutionally empowered with the conduct of Local Government Election in all the states of the Federation, abided totally with all the fundamental requirements needed to conduct any election in any State in Nigeria in conducting Rivers State Elections.

“Therefore, any political party or parties that decided to boycott the election did so out of ignorance and in their own great peril, as they can’t even go to court to contest the conduct of an election they willingly and voluntarily decided not to participate in. Once it is proved by SIEC in Rivers State that appropriate notices and information regarding the election were served and made available to them, inclusive of other basic requirements by SIEC Rivers State, they have no rationale nor locus standi within the ambit of the law to make any complaint anywhere, the courts included except for sake of mere legal academic exercise.”

Nwokedi also strongly condemned the “degrading attitude of the Nigerian Police Force by withdrawing their security during election,” adding that “Police withdrawal of security during an election is not a ground for any election not to be conducted nor make the conduct of such election illegal or unlawful in any way or matter.

“By the recent action of the Nigerian Police in Rivers State, it has now become the decision of a State Governor to decide whether Police security will be needed or not in the conduct of Local Government Elections in Nigeria. Police is a Federal institution and should not be seen to be partisan as it is becoming the case in Nigeria. Such a development is very inimical for the sustenance and advancement of democracy in Nigeria.”

Nwokedi, who has authored seven books on democracy and elections in Nigeria, urged Rivers State Governor Similari Fubara and the newly elected Local Government chairmen “to focus on delivery of quality services and real proceeds of democracy to the good people of Rivers State, as you have no cause for any alarm regarding the conduct of the last Local Government election in the state by SIEC having complied fully and absolutely with the provisions of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act and other enabling laws. What is more, the election was equally adjudged very peaceful, free, fair and credible .”

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