Rivers State Governor, Sir Similanayi Fubara, has issued a stern warning to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, cautioning him against actions that could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
This comes after an incident at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office, where Fubara claims police officers attempted to interfere with preparations for the upcoming local government elections.
In a press conference held in Port Harcourt on Friday, Fubara detailed how he personally intervened to prevent what he described as an attempt by the Nigerian Police to remove election materials from the RSIEC office.
Fubara said:
“In the early hours of this morning, I received a security report that the RSIEC office had been invaded by the Nigerian Police.
“I was shocked because I had already seen a signal that police officers guarding the premises were being withdrawn.
“I drove to the office myself and was surprised to find fierce-looking policemen trying to force their way into the premises.”
Fubara stated that the police presence included one truck and three empty vans, which he said were part of a deliberate attempt to steal election materials. However, the governor claimed that his swift action prevented the situation from escalating.
Fubara accuse Police of misconduct
The governor accused the police of overstepping their bounds and attempting to interfere with a state-controlled process.
His words:
“RSIEC is a state agency governed by state law. Why is Rivers State being treated differently?
“The role of the police is to protect, not to barricade the premises of the electoral body.
“If there is any breakdown of law and order in this state, the IGP will be held responsible.”
Fubara questions court orders, federal Involvement
Fubara also raised questions about a Federal High Court judgment, which he claimed was being used to justify the police’s actions.
He argued that the ruling did not grant the police the authority to seal RSIEC premises or stop the elections.
He said:
“The court ruling said not to provide RSIEC with a voter register or police protection, but it didn’t say to seal the premises and stop the election,”
“We have a state court judgment that allows us to use the 2023 voter register to conduct the election, so why are the police interfering?”
The governor emphasized that local government elections are a state matter, and no federal institution has the authority to dictate how they are conducted.
Fubara vows to resist attempts to disrupt the election
Fubara ended his address by vowing to resist any attempts to stop the local government elections scheduled for Saturday.
He urged the police and other security agencies to focus on providing protection rather than disrupting the democratic process.
He said:
“We are prepared to resist any attempt by anyone, including security agencies, to stop this election.
“We will not allow Rivers State to be treated differently, and we will stand up to defend our rights.”
Protest rocks PDP secretariat over Rivers LG poll
Earlier, Legit reported that tensions flared on Thursday, October 3, as protesters stormed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Specifically, they were heard demanding clarity and transparency ahead of the Local Government election scheduled for October 5, 2024.