Crowd besieges PDP secretariat in Rivers over LG polls

A crowd has besieged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, ahead of the local government election slated for October 5.

There is snarling traffic on the route to the secretariat and on adjoining roads. 

Security operatives have also been deployed to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Some of the protesters are holding aloft placards and banners, while chanting solidarity songs and slogans along the busy highway.

Some of the placards read: ‘Say no to LGA election. RSIEC must obey court judgment. SIM must obey court judgment’.

BACKGROUND

There has been palpable tension in Rivers due to the prolonged turf war and supremacy battle between Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers; and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT). 

The local government election is now being viewed in both camps as a referendum on who really controls the grassroots.

The Wike camp is seemingly opposed to the conduct of the election on Saturday.

On September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). 

On October 2, INEC said it had not released the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election, in deference to the judgment of the federal high court. 

However, Fubara has vowed to proceed with the election and has declared Thursday and Friday as public holidays.

“Any failure on our part to conduct the local government election would be a clear disobedience of the supreme court’s mandatory order that no state government must administer the local government councils in Nigeria with unelected officers; with the attendant consequence of the state and the people being denied the statutory allocations due to the 23 local government areas of the state,” the governor said. 

The governor also “placed a total restriction on vehicular and human movements into, within, and out of the state, and the local government areas, from midnight of Friday 4th October 2024 to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 5th October 2024, except for persons and vehicles with valid identifications who are on election and other essential duties”.

Fubara paid a visit to the office of the RSIEC during the week, warning that “any idiot that tries any nonsense on Saturday will be dealt with”.