Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the recently held local government elections in Rivers State, describing the process as illegal, undemocratic, and a threat to Nigeria’s constitutional order.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, Obi criticized the conduct of the polls, which were overseen by a sole administrator, an appointment that has already stirred controversy across political and legal circles.
Obi did not mince words in his criticism, branding the exercise as “rascality taken too far” and warning that such undemocratic practices pose a serious danger to the future of governance in Nigeria.
> “The conduct of the Rivers State local government election is rascality taken too far,” Obi wrote. “It represents a double tragedy for our democracy when a sole administrator—himself illegally appointed—dares to conduct an election that should empower the people. This is not democracy; it is the outright desecration of its very foundation.”
The former Anambra State governor argued that the election process violated both the spirit and letter of the Nigerian Constitution, stripping the people of their right to choose their leaders, particularly at the grassroots level where governance has the most direct impact.
He further described the process as morally indefensible and legally untenable, stating that “illegality can never give birth to legitimacy.”
Obi’s remarks come amid growing outrage over the rising use of caretaker committees and sole administrators to oversee local governments across the country—an issue many legal analysts say undermines Nigeria’s federal structure and local government autonomy.
Calling for a return to democratic accountability, Obi urged political leaders to respect the will of the people by safeguarding the sanctity of the ballot box.
> “We cannot pretend to practise democracy while silencing the will of the people,” he said. “True progress can only be achieved when leaders derive their mandate from the people’s votes—not from contraptions that mock democracy.”
Observers have noted that Obi’s statement reflects widening calls for electoral reform and constitutional compliance, especially at the third tier of government. Civic groups, legal experts, and pro-democracy activists have continued to warn that failure to uphold democratic processes at the local level could further erode public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
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