Rivers LG Election Branded ‘Democratic Fraud’ by TAF Africa CEO

The recent local government election in Rivers State has come under sharp criticism from Jake Epelle, CEO of TAF Africa, who described the exercise as a “democratic fraud.”

Epelle made the comments on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

According to him, the election was:

• Illegal and unconstitutional, despite being conducted under a democratically elected government.

• A form of “unprecedented political manoeuvring” that amounted to a democratic scam.

• A process that undermined the intelligence and civic expectations of Rivers residents.

“Everything about this election that was held on Saturday was totally illegal and unconstitutional,” Epelle said.

“The people of Rivers State, we are smart, we’re civilised. They probably thought people would take to the streets, but I called on the youth not to fall into their trap.”

Epelle warned that what transpired should serve as a wake-up call to Nigerians about the state of electoral processes in the country. He described it as “a slap on the people of Rivers State,” urging citizens not to normalize electoral irregularities.

Rivers State remains one of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive regions, and criticisms like Epelle’s highlight growing concerns about electoral integrity and the rule of law in local governance.