Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reiterated that there will be no going back on Saturday’s council elections, stating that any attempt to stop the exercise will be resisted by the state government.
In a rare press conference at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday morning, the Governor affirmed that despite the Thursday night withdrawal from the exercise, the election would proceed as scheduled, with other security agencies on the ground to provide security for the elections.
“The election on Saturday is sacrosanct. Any attempt or group of attempts to stop this election will be resisted,” Governor Fubara declared. “I want you all to know that we are prepared. The election on Saturday is sacrosanct. We must join hands to ensure that the election holds.”
He added, “We have done everything necessary, and we will ensure that this election proceeds.”
The Governor blamed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Agbotekun, for the withdrawal of the police, stating, “Regarding security, if the police feel they won’t participate in the election, they should withdraw. I am saying this here so that the Inspector General of Police will be aware and understand that any act against this will lead to lawlessness in the state. At the end of the day, he should be prepared to take responsibility.”
He also clarified an attempted security breach at the RSIEC office early Friday morning. “I received a security report this morning that the RSIEC office had been invaded by the Nigerian Police. I was surprised because, before that, I received a copy of a signal withdrawing police officers who were guarding the premises.
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“So, I had to drive there myself, as the facility belongs to the Rivers State government. Upon arrival, to the shock of everyone accompanying me, I encountered fierce-looking policemen in one truck and three other empty vans trying to force their way into the premises. I had to stop them.
“During the process, we discovered that the movement was a deliberate attempt by the Nigerian Police Force, both from headquarters and the Rivers Command, to steal electoral materials. But, by the special grace of God, that attempt was foiled.”
Governor Fubara justified his visit to RSIEC, stating, “What is RSIEC? It is a facility, an agency, and a process controlled by the state government. It is a system governed by the law of the State.
“If we go by what they claim—that they have a court order—the court ruling said don’t give RSIEC the voters register, don’t provide RSIEC with police protection. Did the judgment say seal the premises? Did it say don’t allow them to conduct the election?
“However, the Rivers State Government and RSIEC also have a judgment that clearly states the election should be conducted with the 2023 voters register. The order also mandated the Police, DSS, Nigerian Army, and other agencies to provide security for the exercise.
“I may not be a lawyer, but I understand that, when it comes to judgments, there is something called ‘first in time.’ So, what is this special interest in the Federal High Court judgment?
“Why are they looking for a way to destabilize this state? The Supreme Court gave a judgment that all local government activities must be coordinated by elected local government officers.
“The President of the Federal Republic and the state governors agreed that compliance with this judgment should be within 90 days from the date of the judgment. Other states are conducting elections to comply with the directive of the Supreme Court and the understanding we had with Mr. President.
“And what Rivers State is doing is no different. So, the question is, is any other court higher than the Supreme Court?
“I don’t want to engage in issues with the judge because he had his reasons, but the question is: after the incident in Nigeria on June 12, the Supreme Court ruled that no court should stop the election process.
“If you feel aggrieved and don’t want to participate in the election, you go to court. Why do you want to stop the election process? To create problems and anarchy in the state?
“We are already suffering; people are hungry, and now you want to disrupt the livelihoods of civil servants at the local governments in the state.
“This morning, I want to assure Nigerians and the peace-loving people of Rivers State that we have done everything necessary, and we will ensure that this election goes ahead.
“We will not allow Rivers State to descend into anarchy, where local government administration is suspended because of one person’s interest.
“I don’t need to invite the Nigerian Police. Their responsibility is to maintain peace and order. There is no court in this country, to my knowledge, that will give an order for the police to become enemies of a state. So, I am surprised that the police have decided to become enemies of Rivers State. But I want to believe that the information we are getting and the actions they are taking are not coming from the right source. If that is the case, they better correct themselves.”
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