Fubara vows LG elections will proceed amid security concerns, legal battles

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has asserted that nothing will prevent the upcoming local government elections from taking place, despite a backdrop of legal disputes and security issues.

Early on Friday morning, Fubara made a surprise visit to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISEC) office in Port Harcourt, where police had barricaded access to electoral materials.

Upon his arrival, Fubara was accompanied by lawmakers and government officials, and the police personnel stationed at the RISEC office vacated the premises shortly thereafter.

This move comes in the wake of the Rivers police command’s announcement that officers would not provide security for the local government election, citing compliance with a federal high court order in Abuja. Grace Iringe-Koko, the police spokesperson, confirmed this directive.

During his visit, Fubara expressed strong discontent with the police presence at the RISEC office, labeling it unnecessary. He alleged that Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun was taking orders from Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers State.

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“We came here this morning upon hearing that the Nigeria police were coming to take over the premises of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission. I had to come myself to find out why such a thing would happen,” Fubara stated.

The governor emphasized that the court ruling did not explicitly prohibit the election from proceeding, saying, “Did the ruling specify anywhere that the election should not be held? It (the judgment) said don’t give voter register. What are we doing with it?”

He further criticized the interpretation of the court’s decision, arguing that blocking police security was not the same as stopping the election altogether. “We don’t need your security. We will provide our security,” he added, referencing a similar situation in Anambra State where elections were successfully conducted without police protection.

Fubara’s remarks highlighted the escalating tensions between his administration and the Wike camp, which appears opposed to the local government elections scheduled for Saturday. The looming election is perceived as a critical battleground for control of grassroots political power in Rivers State.

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A federal high court in Abuja recently barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to RISEC, and it also prohibited the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election.

Following this decision, INEC confirmed that it had not released the voter register to RISEC, adhering to the court’s ruling.

In a dramatic turn of events on October 3, a crowd gathered at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt to protest the impending local government elections.

Despite the unrest, Fubara has declared Thursday and Friday public holidays to facilitate the electoral process and remains steadfast in his commitment to holding the elections as planned.

“The election will be held, results will be declared, and people will be sworn in,” he vowed, warning that the only thing that could halt the election would be an attempt on his life.