On Thursday, supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State staged a protest against the upcoming local government elections, which are scheduled to be conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on October 5. Led by state chairman Chukwuemeka Aaron, thousands of party loyalists marched through Port Harcourt, undeterred by heavy rain, to express their dissatisfaction with the electoral process.
Among the prominent figures participating in the demonstration were former local government chairmen from Eleme, Gokana, Andoni, and Emuoha, including Obarimate Ollor, Confidence Deko, Erastus Awortu, and Chidi Lloyd. The protesters gathered at the PDP secretariat on Aba Road as early as 7 am, displaying placards before proceeding to the Department of State Services (DSS) office along the Old GRA axis to voice their concerns.
After being addressed by a DSS official, the crowd marched to the State Police Command Headquarters, chanting slogans in support of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Their chants included “Under the rain, under the sun, we will follow Wike” and “No election in Rivers State,” while placards demanded that RSIEC obey court orders and insisted that Rivers State is not lawless.
As the crowd grew at the police headquarters, officials invited protest leaders for a brief meeting. Following the discussions, the protesters dispersed, singing solidarity songs in support of Wike.
It is important to note that the PDP faction aligned with Wike, along with the Tony Okocha-led All Progressives Congress (APC), has withdrawn from the October 5 election, citing irregularities and a lack of due process by RSIEC. Conversely, a faction of the APC loyal to former Minister Rotimi Amaechi, led by Emeka Beke, has distributed party flags to candidates in 22 local government areas, declaring their readiness for the elections.
In the meantime, a new dispute has arisen between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and RSIEC, with INEC denying claims that it has released the 2023 voter register for the elections. In a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara announced that Thursday and Friday would be public holidays to allow voters to travel to their local government areas for the polls, affirming that no amount of opposition or propaganda would prevent the elections from occurring.
Written By; Christopher Emuakpeje