Accreditation and voting have started in some polling units in the Rivers Local Government Election where no fewer than seventeen political parties are contesting for both Chairmanship and councilorship positions.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is the 18th political party on the ballot is the only one not recognized.
Though, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had initially listed 18 political parties for the election but the APC wrote to the commission that it would not be participating in the elections reducing the number of parties to 17.
The party was included when a faction led by Senator Magnus Abe wrote to the state electoral umpire to participate in the election, but when the Supreme Court settled the party’s leadership crisis, recognizing the Chibuike Ameachi faction as the authentic leadership, the party then wrote to RSIEC to withdraw for the election.
Meanwhile, security operatives have been deployed to strategic locations in the state, to mount roadblocks and enforce the state government order on the restriction of movement till after the election at 5:00 pm.
