Supporters of former Rivers State governor, and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, staged a protest on Saturday in Port Harcourt, calling on the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, to comply with a recent High Court judgment regarding the ongoing local government elections.
The protest, which drew a large crowd, was organized in response to what Wike’s supporters described as irregularities in the electoral process.
The demonstrators, carrying placards with messages like “Obey Court Order” and “No Justice, No Election,” expressed frustration over the conduct of the elections and demanded that RSIEC halt the polls and abide by the court’s ruling.
A recent judgment by the Rivers State High Court had reportedly ordered the suspension of the elections, following legal challenges to the process.
The court found procedural flaws in the organization and scheduling of the elections, prompting Wike’s camp to call for a postponement.
However, RSIEC went ahead with the elections despite the ruling, leading to protests from Wike’s loyalists.
Earlier…
The local government election crisis is between the camps of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike. They have been locked in a fight over the control of the political structure in the state.
While the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic, PDP, is in support, and wants its members to take part in the election, its Rivers State chapter, which is loyal to Wike, urged residents and party members to shun the exercise.
They are the ones protesting today.
The Police, citing court orders, have said they would not provide security services in Rivers and urged other security agencies to do the same.
However, Governor Fubara, who accused the Police of bias, said the election would be held. And the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, said regardless of the court order, it would go ahead with the conduct of the exercise.
Court judgment
On the court judgment being referenced by the protesters, Fubara said: “The Rivers State Government and RSIEC itself also had a judgment that state clearly: conduct the election with the voters register of 2023; and police, DSS, Nigeria Army and other sister-agencies should provide security.
“I might not be a lawyer, but I understand clearly that when it comes to the issue of judgment, there is something they call first-in-time.”
Governor Fubara asked if there was any other court that is bigger than the Supreme Court of Nigeria, whose judgment concerning a proper constitution of elected local government councils is being obeyed in Rivers State.
The governor stated that among all the security agencies, the Police were the only ones acting so strangely and have become a threat to the nation’s democracy. Read a detailed report on the local government election crisis HERE.