Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has affirmed that the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024, will proceed as planned. He emphasized that there are no legal obstacles preventing the election from taking place and called on political parties, candidates, and voters to maintain their enthusiasm as they prepare to elect new council leaders.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara made the announcement after inspecting the Trans-Kalabari Road project on Monday. He also visited the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) headquarters, where he met with the commission’s chairman, retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli.
Governor Fubara stressed that RSIEC had a valid court order to conduct the election on October 5, 2024, with the support of security aagencies. According to DAILY POST reports, “I’m aware that RSIEC told me that they already had an order mandating them to conduct the election on the 5th October, 2024, and the security agencies to support them,” he said. He assured that the state government would provide full support to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election.
Fubara also addressed reports of attempts by certain individuals to disrupt the election process, warning them against such actions. He expressed his commitment to upholding the interests of Rivers State, stating, “It doesn’t belong to anybody… if we make a mistake today, it is going to live with us forever.”
The election faces some legal challenges, as a Federal High Court in Abuja recently barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voters’ register to RSIEC. This ruling contrasts with an earlier order from a High Court in Port Harcourt that directed RSIEC to use the 2023 voters’ register for the upcoming elections. The Port Harcourt ruling, issued on September 4, 2024, followed a case filed by the Action People’s Party (APP) against RSIEC and the Rivers State Government.
In addition, the Federal High Court ruling also prohibits the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the elections. Despite these challenges, RSIEC has previously stated that it had already obtained the voters’ register from INEC ahead of the elections.