Supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have staged a street protest against the planned local government elections scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 5, 2024, in the State.
The protesters had earlier gathered at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt on Thursday morning before hitting the streets for the protest.
The protesters carrying different placards like “Rivers is not a jungle” are believed to be factional members of the PDP in the State and supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.
Recall that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday declared Thursday, October 3 and Friday, October 4, 2024, as public holidays in the State to enable residents to travel to their various communities to fully participate in the forthcoming Saturday, October 5 Local Government elections.
Fubara further announced strict restriction of vehicular movement of residents from midnight on Friday, October 4 to 5:00pm on Election Day.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has accused the Governor Fubara-led administration of drifting the state into a state of lawlessness by insisting on going ahead with the October 5, 2024 local government elections.
Caretaker committee chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, who disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said the party will not allow Fubara to drift the state into anarchy.
Okocha said: “We are watching Rivers State drift into a state of lawlessness due to fragrant impunity of one man. The governor had ruled and had continued to rule this state with impunity. We can’t stand and watch him rule the state into oblivion. We need to let the President and 8reeroor
“Instead of appealing against the judgement of Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, they are busy procuring more court ruling and orders . They have not even appealed against the Omotosho judgement.”
He questioned the propriety of the October 5 local government elections in the state, insisting that the APC would not allow Fubara to drift the state into lawlessness.
Earlier, the Independent (7 Commission (INEC) it was yet to release the 20273 Voter Register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Alalibo, who spoke at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said RSIEC had applied for the Register, but it was yet to be released to them because of administrative reasons.
Alalibo further confirmed that the Commission received the court judgement from Abuja barring the Commission from releasing the register.