A group of determined protesters gathered at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office on Friday, chanting and demanding that the scheduled elections proceed as planned. Despite heavy rainfall, the demonstrators remained undeterred, setting up canopies and blocking part of the road while drumming and chanting, “Election must hold.”
The protest follows an early morning intervention by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who arrived at the RSIEC office around 1 AM to prevent the Rivers State Police Command from taking over the premises.
Tensions have risen as the Nigeria Police Force, following a Federal High Court ruling, instructed its commanders to enforce a judgment barring local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024, in the state. According to Grace Iringe-Koko, Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, the court order issued on July 19, 2024, prohibited the police and other security agencies from providing security for the election.
The police stated that their Force Legal Department had advised them to comply with the court’s ruling, leading to the current standoff between protesters and law enforcement.
