In a significant political development, the Rivers State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have united to protest the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5.
This protest coincides with warnings from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) against political interference in the election process. IPAC’s National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, emphasized the importance of conducting the elections free from meddling.
The protest began at 7:45 a.m. in Port Harcourt, with members and supporters of both parties gathering at the PDP Secretariat near Leventist Junction. The demonstration is aimed at opposing Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s decision to proceed with the polls, despite ongoing legal disputes, including conflicting court orders halting the election process.
A Rivers State High Court had authorized the local government elections, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). However, a Federal High Court issued a contradictory ruling, preventing INEC from supplying the register to RSIEC. While INEC confirmed on Wednesday that it had not yet provided the register to RSIEC, the latter claimed it had obtained the voters’ register before the legal disputes arose.
Rivers APC’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tony Okocha, along with the PDP’s state Chairman, Chukwuemeka Aaron, accused the election process of being illegitimate and declared their parties would not participate.
Despite the protests, Governor Fubara asserted the elections’ importance during a meeting with IPAC at the Government House, declaring them “sacrosanct.”
The protest march proceeded along Azikwe Road under heavy security, with participants chanting slogans as they delivered their protest letter to the State Office of the DSS and the Rivers Police Command.
In a related statement, Dantalle appealed to the new Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate and sanction judicial officers involved in the election disputes. IPAC reiterated its call to the National Assembly to abolish State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and have INEC oversee all local government elections.
IPAC stressed the need for a level playing field for all political parties and their candidates, condemning any attempts to alter election rules mid-process. The council reaffirmed that local government elections are vital for democracy and urged citizens to actively participate.
Furthermore, IPAC highlighted the judiciary’s critical role in maintaining electoral integrity, calling for investigations into judicial conduct to restore public confidence in the justice system.