Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara intervened early Friday morning to thwart an alleged attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) premises.
The incident occurred around 1 AM, as police were reportedly trying to breach the gates and secure room of the commission to seize sensitive electoral materials intended for the upcoming local government elections.
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A video obtained by Channels Television showed the police attempting to gain access, prompting vigilant security personnel to alert key officials of the commission and relevant government authorities.
The alarming news quickly reached Governor Fubara, who mobilized a team of government officials, lawmakers from both the National and State Assemblies, and other political leaders to the scene.
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In the video, shouts of “Move this thing! Illegal police! Illegal police! Thief! Thief!” can be heard as the governor and his supporters confronted the situation.
Supporters of the governor were seen physically confronting police vehicles stationed outside the RSIEC office, which were reported to be carrying a number of police officers.
As the situation unfolded, prominent officials, including the Chief of Staff and the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, along with other stakeholders, took up positions at the RSIEC office to prevent the police from re-entering and to ensure that the elections would proceed as scheduled.
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This incident comes in the wake of a statement from the Rivers State Police Command, where spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko acknowledged receiving a restraining order preventing police from providing security during the local government elections slated for October 5, 2024.
In a separate meeting with PDP stakeholders at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara expressed regret that his party would not participate in the upcoming elections.
He emphasized the importance of conducting the elections on Saturday to adhere to the three-month timeline set by the Federal Government for implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
