Some group of enraged protesters, on Friday, gathered at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), determined that the scheduled elections must take place.
Despite the heavy downpour, the demonstrators, undeterred, set up canopies and blocked one side of the road while chanting and drumming in unison, proclaiming, “Election must hold.”
The protest followed Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara‘s unexpected visit to the RSIEC office in the early hours of Friday.
The Governor arrived around 1 AM to intervene and prevent the Rivers State Police Command from taking over the commission’s premises.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has instructed its commanders to enforce a Federal High Court’s ruling against the upcoming local government elections scheduled for tomorrow in Rivers State.
In a statement issued by the State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, the police recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja, on July 19, 2024, issued a restraining order preventing the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from providing security during the election.
The police emphasized that they had been advised by their Force Legal Department to adhere to the September 30, 2024, court judgment, which prohibited their involvement in the local government election scheduled for October 5, 2024, in Rivers State.