Some supporters of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Saturday morning staged a peaceful protest around the Polio Club near Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Port Harcourt against the ongoing local government elections in the State.
The protesters, mainly youths, said they gathered to tell the world that there’s no Council election in the State.
According to the group numbering about 100, as law-abiding citizens, they are compelled to obey the Abuja Federal High Court judgement, which ordered the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to steer clear from the polls.
One of the protesters, Henry Bobmanuel, said, “We are law-abiding citizens, that’s why we are not participating in the elections; we gathered here to tell the world that there is no local Council election in Rivers State.”
Meanwhile, as of the time this story was filed, checks by The Guardian showed election materials were being distributed across wards and units in some local government areas.
Councils like Bonny, Obio-Akpor, Abua/Odual, Emohua, Ikwerre, Etche, and Port Harcourt City have received sensitive materials as of 8:45 a.m.
Also, voter accreditation has taken place at Unit 6, Ward 5 in Okomoko community in Etche.
In Ward 5, Units 9, 10, and 15 in Port Harcourt City area, as of 8:45 a.m., voters were seen around the polling units, but no election materials had arrived. In PHALGA Ward 18, Units 13, 14, and 15, voters were seen at the units; materials arrived on time, and as of 10 a.m., voting had ended.
There was no sign of elections yet at Rumuibekwe and Rumuekini in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area as of 9am as there was calm while a few voters were seen awaiting the arrival of materials.
Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area reportedly witnessed a large turnout of voters, and the area is relatively peaceful.
Shops were closed, police vans were seen patrolling around the state capital, and some security vans were stationed around the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Police personnel were not seen around any polling unit, but other security personnel like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other local security outfits were sighted.
This is happening amidst a suspected bomb attack at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
It was gathered that armed thugs attacked the secretariat early Saturday morning.
Recall that the APC in Rivers State, led by Tony Okocha, has declared that it will not participate in the “Local Government Election” scheduled to hold today by the Rivers State Government under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, following a plethora of court judgments barring security agencies in the State from being a part of the process.
Okocha, who visited the scene, described the incident as “a reign of terror, horror, impunity, and illegality in Rivers State under the present government.”
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, under the Chairmanship of Aaron Chukwuemeka, has also insisted that the party will not participate in the polls, hinging its reasons on the same Abuja Federal High Court judgement.
But the APC reinstated Chairman, Emeka Beke, who is loyal to the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, said the APC will participate in the polls, describing the elections as timely.
The controversial Rivers LG elections have renewed the political war of attrition between the FCT Minister, Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. In the past one month, the State has been engulfed with raging battles from both camps.
However, the outcome of today’s Local Council election will determine the true definition of the new political landscape in the State or not.