Governor Sim Fubara has expressed concern over the actions of the Nigerian police in relation to the Rivers State local government elections.
In a live coverage by Symfoni TV from 4:31, Fubara said that he heard the police were removing officers who were already assigned to protect the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) ahead of the local government elections and replacing them with new personnel. He said he visited the RSIEC premises to investigate the situation and found out that it was true.
Fubara, directing his comments at the Inspector General of Police (IGP), said that the state could handle its own security and pointed to a similar situation in Anambra, where local security was used for elections. Fubara made it clear that the election must proceed, regardless of police involvement, and that the results would be declared, with elected officials sworn in as planned. He also said the Federal High Court judgement which the IGP has decided to obey did not order the cancellation of the elections. Instead, it instructed the police not to provide security and instructed INEC not to give RSIEC voters register.
In Fubara’s words: “We will provide our own security, afterall it happened in Anambra. Go away with your security but this election must hold”