The Politics of

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa ...

function within the framework of a presidential republic, with the

Governor of Rivers State The Governor of Rivers State is the chief executive of the Rivers State government and is one of the governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria. The governor is supported by the Deputy Governor, both popularly elected for a term of four yea ...

as both

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

and

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

. Rivers State is known for a politically engaged citizenry. The official seat of government is in Port Harcourt. Under the Constitution,

Executive power The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

is vested in the Governor. This does not change the fact that such authority may also be exercised through the Deputy Governor or Commissioners.

Legislative power A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known a ...

is vested in a 32-member

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gove ...

Judicial power The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

is exercised solely by the

judiciary of Rivers State The Judiciary of Rivers State is a branch of the Government of Rivers State that has sole authority and responsibility for the interpretation and application of the state's laws as well as the adjudication of disputes or controversies. Governance ...

Political institutions

As with the federal government of Nigeria, power in Rivers State is divided into three main branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

Executive

The Executive branch of government in Rivers State is part of the government that is responsible for the daily administration of the state. The Executive branch consists mainly of executive council, ministries and various parastatals. It is headed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, who is both the

chief of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

and

. The governor is elected in the same manner as the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

to no more than two consecutive four-year terms. Each of the ministries is led by a Commissioner appointed by the Governor. Rivers State House of Assembly has the duty to confirm the Governor's appointments. Though parastatals have heads also appointed by the Governor, they are overseen by ministries run by Perm Secs who report to Commissioners. ,

, Ezenwo N. Wike , People's Democratic Party , 29 May 2015 , - , Deputy Governor ,

Ipalibo Banigo Ipalibo Gogo Banigo (née Harry; born 20 December 1952) is a Nigerian medical doctor, politician and the first female Deputy Governor of Rivers State. A member of the People's Democratic Party, she has held various important offices at the Rive ...

, People's Democratic Party , 29 May 2015

Legislative

The legislative powers in the state lie with the

Rivers State House of Assembly Rivers State House of Assembly is the legislative branch of the Government of Rivers State inaugurated in 1979. It is a unicameral body with 32 members elected into 32 state constituencies. The current Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and ...

. A unicameral body of 32 members elected every four years. The Assembly is presided over by a

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

, assisted by other Principal Officers. All of whom are elected from among the House membership by the legislators. Following general elections in April 2015, the current House of Assembly was formed. People's Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the largest party with 31 seats. Members of the House of the Assembly are elected from single-member

constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

. The 8th House of Assembly was inaugurated on 1 June 2015.

Judicial

Rivers State has an independent judiciary, which interprets and applies the law in the state. It is composed of a number of courts, each specialized for a different task. Most judicial appointments including that of

Chief Judge A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...

are made by the Governor, but acting upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council. As the third arm, the judiciary plays a stabilizing role in the affairs of polity. It is equipped to adjudicate disputes between people or the government at various levels. Presently, there are 10 judicial divisions within the

High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Its name is abbreviated as EWHC (Englan ...

, and about 26 judges carrying out their professional work.

Political parties and elections

The main political players are the People's Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. These parties along with several minor ones put forward candidates for elections to the executive, legislative and local government councils. People's Democratic Party has been the most influential political party since 1999. It continues to maintain control of top statewide offices, including the governorship.

Local government

At local level, the state is divided into local government areas. There are 23 LGAs that handle local administration under an elected Chairman or Mayor. Each of the local government areas has its own administrative seat and is further split into wards. Council elections are organized through the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

References

{{Rivers State