Rivers State House of Assembly issues an arrest warrant for RSIEC Chairman Adolphus Enebeli after his failure to appear before the lawmakers. The assembly is demanding clarification on how state resources were spent without appropriation since January 2024. This follows a Supreme Court ruling nullifying a previous election.
A political showdown has escalated in Rivers State as the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the state’s House of Assembly has issued a warrant for the arrest of Adolphus Enebeli, chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). The move came after Enebeli and other RSIEC commissioners failed to appear before the assembly despite being given two ultimatums.
On March 5, the lawmakers invited Enebeli and his team to provide documents and clarify how the electoral body had spent state funds since January 2024, citing concerns over the lack of an appropriation law. The assembly’s patience grew thin after the RSIEC officials missed the original deadline of March 7 to attend the hearing. In response, the lawmakers issued a 72-hour ultimatum, demanding that the RSIEC officials appear on March 10.
The dispute occurs against the backdrop of ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, which has been fueled by a feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Nyesom Wike. The Amaewhule-led faction, which holds loyalty to Wike, has been vocal in its criticism of Fubara’s administration. Tensions have also been heightened by the RSIEC’s announcement that a fresh local government election will be held on August 9, 2025, following a Supreme Court ruling that nullified the previous election held in October 2024. The court ruled that the conditions set in the Electoral Act had not been properly met during the election process.
With mounting political disputes, this latest development only adds to the instability in Rivers State as the lawmakers push for accountability within the state’s electoral commission.
