Protesters stormed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt on Thursday, just two days before the scheduled Local Government election on October 5, 2024.
The protests were sparked by growing concerns over the delay in releasing the 2023 Voters’ Register by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Security operatives were forced to intervene to control the large crowd and manage traffic congestion in the area.
The protesters, carrying placards and banners, chanted slogans and ran along the highway, causing slow movement of vehicles.
One of the banners displayed a strong message: “TAI people say no to lawlessness. Say no to LGA election. RSIEC must obey court judgment. SIM must obey court judgement.”
This refers to the Federal High Court ruling in Abuja on September 30, 2024, which barred INEC from releasing the voters’ register to RSIEC due to ongoing legal challenges.
Despite this ruling, Governor Siminalayi Fubara remains confident that the election will proceed as planned, citing the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling that mandates democratically elected local government executives in all states.
However, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Alalibo, confirmed that the Commission has yet to release the 2023 Voter Register to RSIEC due to administrative reasons and the court judgment from Abuja.
