Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara affirmed on Thursday that the local government election scheduled for Saturday, October 5, will go ahead, despite protests from supporters of his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The governor cautioned against any attempts by groups or individuals to disrupt the electoral process, stating that he would not tolerate actions aimed at causing confusion or instability in the state.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to Wike, along with a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Chief Tony Okocha, a known Wike supporter, had previously announced their withdrawal from the election, citing irregularities and a lack of due process by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.
In contrast, the APC faction aligned with former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, led by Emeka Beke, confirmed its participation, distributing party flags to candidates in 22 of the 23 local government areas of the state.
The APC faction led by Okocha had initiated legal action against the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which resulted in a temporary injunction preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register for the election.
The court also prohibited security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services, from providing security for the event.
Despite these legal challenges, the RSIEC stated its readiness to proceed with the election on Saturday, asserting that it had access to the voter register, which contradicts INEC’s stance.
On Thursday, prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and thousands of their supporters marched through the streets to protest the RSIEC’s planned conduct of the election.
During a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House, Governor Fubara criticized the protesters, noting that he too faced a disadvantage as his party, the PDP, was not participating in the election.
“You know, in this election, I am the greatest loser because my party is not participating. But due to the Supreme Court ruling that there must be elected officials to manage the affairs of local governments, as governor, I have to comply,” Fubara stated.
He explained that after the Supreme Court ruling, a meeting was held with President Bola Tinubu, during which they agreed to adhere to the ruling within a 90-day timeframe. Consequently, Fubara insisted that the local government election must go ahead, despite the PDP’s lack of involvement.
The governor expressed his frustration over the opposition to the election in Rivers State, pointing out that other states across the country had successfully conducted local government elections using the 2023 voter register without encountering similar controversies.
“Ten states of the federation have conducted elections with the 2023 voter register. I don’t know why things in Rivers State are always different. Is it that when it comes to the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is interpreted differently for Rivers State?” Fubara asked.
He also claimed that some of the protesters were outsiders brought into the city from border towns between Imo State and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, as well as from Akwa Ibom State, with the intention of causing unrest.
“No matter the guise or level of ‘aluta continua’ posture that the detractors adopt, the local government election will proceed as planned,” the governor emphasised.
Fubara concluded by urging registered voters and political leaders to be present at their polling units on Saturday to participate in the election and help ensure a smooth electoral process.
Earlier on Thursday, the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, led by its Chairman Aaron Chukwuemeka, organized a protest against the RSIEC’s planned conduct of the local government election, despite a court order restraining it.
The protesters included current and former members of the National Assembly and immediate past local government chairmen who are allies and loyalists of Wike. Among them were the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda; Dumnamene Dekor, representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency; Kelechi Wogu, representing Etche-Omuma Federal Constituency; and Desmond Akawor, a former chairman of the PDP in the state and former Nigerian Ambassador to South Korea.
Other prominent figures at the protest included former federal lawmaker Emma Deeya, former Commissioner for Agriculture Dr. Fred Kpakol, and the immediate past chairmen of Eleme, Gokana, Andoni, and Emuoha Local Government Areas: Obarimate Ollor, Confidence Deko, Erastus Awortu, and Chidi Lloyd, respectively.
The protest began around 7 a.m. at the PDP secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, with participants braving heavy rainfall as they marched through the old GRA area to the Department of State Services office to voice their complaints.
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “RSIEC, obey court order,” “Rivers State is not lawless,” “We say no to impunity,” and “Police and Army must not support RSIEC.”
A group of youths among the protesters chanted slogans such as, “Under the rain, under the sun, we will follow Wike,” “No election in Rivers State,” and “On your mandate we shall stand,” as they made their way to the DSS office, where they were addressed by an official.
From there, the protest continued through the streets of Port Harcourt, passing notable locations such as UTC Junction, Azikiwe Road, Bank Road, and Moscow Road, before ultimately converging at the state police command headquarters.
At the headquarters, they submitted a petition to a representative of the state Commissioner of Police.
Speaking at the command headquarters, Chukwuemeka explained that the protest aimed to remind the police of a Federal High Court judgment delivered on September 30, 2024, which prohibited RSIEC from conducting the local government election and directed security agencies not to provide any support for the electoral process.
“We are here to submit a petition to you from the Peoples Democratic Party, led by my humble self, the state chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka,” he said.
“Attached to this letter is a judgment from the Federal High Court on September 30, 2024. In that judgment, it was expressly stated that RSIEC should not conduct the election. The Independent National Electoral Commission should not release the voter register to RSIEC, and the security agencies were told not to participate in the election.”
Chukwuemeka emphasized that the PDP would not participate in the election and cautioned that if RSIEC proceeded with the poll, the party would not remain passive if it resulted in a crisis.
“No man is bigger than the law. We as a party are not going to participate, and if they go ahead with the election and cause a crisis, we as the PDP will not fold our hands,” he stated.
Responding on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Operations Olusegun Adepoju praised the protesters for their peaceful conduct and for notifying the police in advance of the demonstration.
“I want to thank you for sending the letter earlier regarding this protest, for us to provide security, and for following due process,” he said. “We appreciate you, and we want you to continue like that. I will definitely send your letter to the Commissioner of Police, who will pass it across to the necessary quarters, and we will give you feedback. Please continue to remain peaceful.”
As the protest continued, the number of participants grew at the police headquarters, reflecting the strong support for the party’s position against the local government election.
Pro-Wike lawmakers also expressed their opposition to the conduct of the LG poll.
The faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike, led by Martin Amaewhule, warned RSIEC against disregarding the court order to proceed with the Saturday election.
During its 55th legislative sitting of the second session on Thursday, the Assembly, made up of 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, called on RSIEC, chaired by Justice Adolphus Enebeli, to suspend the upcoming local government election.
In a statement issued by the media aide to the Speaker, the Assembly urged RSIEC to comply with the ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, which mandated that RSIEC halt the election until all legal requirements and procedures for its conduct were fulfilled.
The House condemned RSIEC’s refusal to adhere to the court’s directive, labeling it a violation of the rule of law.
This concern was raised after Barile Nwakor, Chairman of the Committee on Commissions and Agencies, presented a report on the status of the proposed local government elections.
Speaking on the issue, Speaker Amaewhule expressed disappointment over the situation, warning that under Governor Fubara’s leadership, the state risked being perceived as a “Banana Republic” due to RSIEC’s apparent disregard for judicial orders.
While reaffirming the Assembly’s support for conducting the election, the Speaker emphasized that the process must strictly follow the legal framework and relevant laws governing the exercise.
Following discussions, the Assembly unanimously voted to send a formal letter to the RSIEC Chairman, urging the commission to suspend the Saturday poll in compliance with the court’s ruling.
