Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, made a dramatic appearance at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1 AM on Friday, aiming to stop what he described as an attempted police takeover of the premises.
In a video circulating online, Fubara, flanked by key political figures, is seen entering the RSIEC premises.
The footage shows some men alleging that policemen were attempting to scale the gates and breach the commission’s strong room, purportedly to seize sensitive electoral materials ahead of Saturday’s local government elections.
The governor was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and members of both the State and National Assemblies, along with other stakeholders, as they stationed themselves at the RSIEC office to safeguard the venue.
Several police officers were also spotted at the scene, positioned inside two trucks and two Hilux vehicles. In the video, voices can be heard shouting, “Move this thing! Illegal police! Illegal police! Thief! Thief!” while some men physically struck the parked vehicles inside the RSIEC compound, demanding the police vacate the premises.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command had earlier issued a statement through its spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirming that they had received a court order restraining them from providing security for the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
This incident comes on the heels of Governor Fubara expressing regret that his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), will not be participating in the elections. Speaking on Thursday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara emphasized that the elections must proceed on Saturday to comply with the Federal Government’s directive to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
