THE Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara revealed that he arrived at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1 AM today to prevent the Rivers State Police Command from taking control of the facility.
A video footage showed the governor and his team entering the RSIEC premises, amidst claims from some individuals that police officers were attempting to breach the gates and secure room to allegedly remove sensitive electoral materials intended for Saturday’s local government elections in the state.
Fubara was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, various state and national assembly members, and other stakeholders as they monitored the RSIEC office.
An unspecified number of police officers were also seen inside two trucks and two Hilux vehicles parked nearby.
The video captured Governor Fubara alongside lawmakers from both the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, as well as prominent political figures, as they entered the facility.
Background voices in the video could be heard shouting, “Move this thing! Illegal police! Illegal police! Thief! Thief!” Moreover, individuals at the scene were seen physically striking the vehicles parked within the RSIEC office and demanding that the police vacate the premises.
In a statement released on Wednesday by the Rivers State Police Command, Spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko titled “Proposed October 5th, 2024 Local Government Chairman Election,” it was confirmed that the police had received a restraining order preventing them from providing security during the local government elections.
This situation is coming following Fubara’s expression of regret that his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), would not participate in the local government election scheduled for October 5th.
Governor Fubara made this announcement yesterday during a meeting with party stakeholders at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt.
He emphasized that the election must take place on Saturday to align with the three-month grace period granted by the Federal Government for the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy.