The resignation letters of two Commissioners of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC) that surfaced at the weekend have sparked reactions in the state.

Though RISIEC was yet to officially confirm the development, the two political camps reacted to the situations differently.

The two resignation letters that trended early Saturday morning were those of Lazbery Nnah and Prof. Simeon Weli.

Both letters were dated March 7, 2025 addressed to the Chairman of RISIEC and sent to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The two letters, which contained almost the same wordings predicated the reasons for the resignations on the Supreme Court’s judgement that nullified the October 2024 local government elections.

Nnah and Weli extended their appreciation to the commission for the opportunity to serve the state.

While the political camp against Governor Siminalayi Fubara claimed that the resignations would affect the conduct of the elections, the pro-Fubara group said their reported exit would not.

Two former commissioners of RSIEC Dr. Hope Barango-Tariah and Prof. Ken Nweke have stated that the resignations of some members would not incapacitate the commission.

The former commissioners insisted that RSIEC could only cease to function if its chairman resigned his position.

They said the commission remained operational and capable of carrying out its duties despite recent developments.

Others quoted Section 7 (7) of the RSIEC Law, which said: “The validity of any proceedings of the commission shall not be affected by a vacancy in its membership or by any defect in the appointment of a member.”

They said: “This means RSIEC is legally empowered to function effectively, regardless of these resignations. The commission remains intact, focused, and fully prepared to conduct free, fair and credible elections on August 9, 2025”.

The Rivers Chairman of Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC), Soema Osaro, urged political parties to prepare for the next local government elections scheduled for August 9. (The Nation)