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Enioluwa Adeniyi
Guest
Voting has officially commenced in the local government elections across Rivers State, with some voters casting their ballots in polling units while others await the arrival of essential election materials.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) initiated the distribution of sensitive materials to local government areas (LGAs) earlier today, despite a federal high court order restraining the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies from providing security during the polls.
On September 30, a federal high court in Abuja issued a ruling that barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to the RSIEC.
The court also prohibited the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from offering security for the electoral exercise.
INEC reiterated on October 2 that it had not released the voter register to the RSIEC, adhering to the court’s verdict. However, the RSIEC contended that it had received a copy of the voter register from INEC last year, indicating discrepancies between the two bodies.
Despite the legal hurdles, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has insisted that the RSIEC will proceed with the local government elections, arguing that the court order does not impede the electoral process.
In the early hours of Friday, Fubara arrived at the RSIEC office in Port Harcourt amid concerns that police officers were attempting to obstruct the election. Reports indicated that police operatives had barricaded the facility housing electoral materials.
Fubara criticized the police presence at the RSIEC premises as unnecessary and accused the Inspector-General of Police of acting on directives from Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, to undermine the election.
In response to Fubara’s allegations, the NPF asserted that its actions in Rivers State were in compliance with the federal high court’s ruling, emphasizing its commitment to upholding the law.
The local government elections are being closely observed as a referendum on the control of grassroots politics in Rivers State, with both Wike and Fubara’s camps expressing strong sentiments regarding the electoral outcome.
The Wike faction appears to be opposed to the conduct of the elections, heightening the stakes in this politically charged environment.
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