Voters in Rivers State have begun casting their ballots in the ongoing local government elections taking place across the 23 LGAs of the oil-rich state.
The polls, held on Saturday, follow the Supreme Court’s nullification of earlier local government elections in the state. The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) confirmed that election materials had been distributed across polling units, with a restriction of movement imposed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Despite this, reports indicate low voter turnout in several areas. In Emohua LGA, voting had yet to commence in some wards as of 9:45 a.m., with only a handful of voters and party agents present, waiting for the arrival of materials.
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By contrast, voting began on time in other parts of the state, including Ward 1, Unit 1 in Abonnema, Akuku Toru LGA, and Ward One, Botem, Tai LGA.
Meanwhile, police were seen enforcing movement restrictions along the East-West Road near Choba, while in some parts of Port Harcourt, notably Elekahia and Akpajo in Obio/Akpor LGA, youths were spotted playing football on deserted streets.
The Chairman of RSIEC, Michael Odey, assured that voting was ongoing in most areas and urged residents to participate actively.
