Nigeria, Aug. 5 -- A coalition of pro-democracy civil society organisations under the banner of the Alliance of Civil Society Organisations for Expansion of Electoral and Democratic Space (ACCESS) has demanded the immediate suspension of the scheduled local government elections in Rivers State, fixed for August 30.

In a statement obtained by The News Chronicle in Abuja and signed by the group's spokesperson, Kenneth Eze, ACCESS strongly condemned the move by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), branding the upcoming polls as unconstitutional and a direct affront to Nigeria's democratic principles.

According to Eze, the electoral body's 21-day notice-issued on July 28-falls short of the legal minimum required under ...