Opposition unite against LG election

The Rivers State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have united to protest the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5. The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has also warned political actors against interfering in the electoral process.

Yusuf Dantalle, IPAC’s National Chairman, addressed the media in Abuja, emphasizing the need for the elections to be conducted without outside influence.

In Port Harcourt, the protest commenced at 7:45 a.m., with members and supporters of both parties gathering at the PDP Secretariat near Leventist Junction. They are opposing Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s determination to move forward with the elections, despite ongoing legal disputes and conflicting court orders regarding the process.

A Rivers State High Court had permitted the elections, instructing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide the voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). However, a conflicting ruling from a Federal High Court barred INEC from handing over the voters register.

INEC stated on Wednesday that it had not yet provided the voters register to RSIEC, but RSIEC claimed it had applied for and received the register prior to the legal challenges.

Tony Okocha, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Rivers APC, and Chukwuemeka Aaron, the state Chairman of PDP, both asserted that the electoral process is fraught with illegality and that their parties will not participate.