JUST IN: Protest Rocks Rivers PDP Secretariat Over Voter Register Distribution

Protesters on Thursday, stormed the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

TrackNews Media reports that the protest comes two days before the forthcoming Local Government election set for October 5, 2024.

It was gathered that the protesters, who showed up in significant numbers at the party’s headquarters, compelled the security forces to intervene to quell the crowd and alleviate traffic jams in the vicinity.

According to Channels Television, the demonstration comes after mounting worries regarding the postponement of the 2023 Voters’ Register’s distribution by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

Recall that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a decision issued on September 30, 2024, prevented the INEC from handing over the voters’ register to RSIEC due to legal disputes.

Despite the legal decision, Governor Siminalayi Fubara stood by his stance that the election would proceed as scheduled.

Fubara was optimistic that the Supreme Court’s previous decision, which required all states in the federation to have democratically elected local government officials, back his stance.

In a statewide broadcast on Wednesday, Fubara declared Thursday and Friday – October 3 and 4, as public holidays ahead of the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state.

Fubara said his government remains committed to upholding the Constitution of Nigeria and abide by the rule of law and the principles of democracy.

According to him, any failure by his administration to conduct the local government election would be a clear disobedience to the Supreme Court’s mandatory order that no state government must administer the local government councils in Nigeria with unelected officers.

While stating that the government has made the necessary provision to Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the conduct of the election, Fubara said the two-day public holiday will enable residents of the state to journey to their various communities to participate in the Saturday, October 5, election fully.

Fubara also ordered strict restrictions on vehicular movement for residents from midnight on Friday, October 4 to 5pm on Election Day.