Fubara Stands Firm on Local Elections Despite Protests from Wike Loyalists

Governor Fubara remains determined to proceed with Rivers State’s local government elections, despite opposition and legal challenges from political factions loyal to his predecessor, Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the upcoming local government elections, scheduled for October 5, 2024, will proceed as planned. Despite mounting protests from political factions loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, Fubara insisted that halting the process would violate a Supreme Court ruling. He emphasized that the Fubara local elections would go on uninterrupted, warning that any attempt to disrupt the process would be met with firm resistance.

Political factions, particularly members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Wike and an All Progressives Congress (APC) group led by Tony Okocha, announced their withdrawal from the election. They cited procedural irregularities by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) as their reason. Nevertheless, an APC faction aligned with former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, led by Emeka Beke, has confirmed its participation and distributed party flags to candidates in 22 of the state’s 23 local government areas.

In response to these developments, the Okocha-led APC faction took legal action, securing an injunction from a Federal High Court in Abuja. This ruling temporarily prevents INEC from releasing the voter register for the election and restrains security agencies, including the police, from providing support for the process. Despite this, RSIEC has asserted that it is prepared to move forward with the Fubara local elections, claiming to have access to the voter register.

On Thursday, Fubara expressed frustration with the protests, stating that he had no intention of abandoning the elections, even though his own party, the PDP, was not participating. He pointed out that other states had successfully conducted elections using the 2023 voter register, and questioned why Rivers State seemed to face unique challenges. “Why should the law be interpreted differently for Rivers State?” the governor asked, calling out the protesters for attempting to sow discord.

Thousands of protesters, many of whom were loyalists of Wike, took to the streets earlier in the day. Led by PDP state chairman Aaron Chukwuemeka, they marched through Port Harcourt, demanding that RSIEC comply with the court order and suspend the election. Carrying signs with messages such as “RSIEC, obey court order,” and “No election in Rivers State,” they lodged their complaints with the Department of State Services and the state police command.

Despite this pressure, Fubara stood firm, stating that no protests or disruptions would prevent the Fubara local elections from taking place. He urged voters and political leaders to ensure their presence at the polls on Saturday to guarantee a smooth election process.

At the Rivers State House of Assembly, 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike joined the chorus of opposition. They called on RSIEC to respect the court ruling and suspend the elections, warning that the state’s reputation as a law-abiding entity was at risk if the commission ignored judicial orders. However, Fubara made it clear that he would not back down, maintaining that conducting local government elections was essential for governance and adherence to the rule of law.