By: Felix Ikpotor
Following the decision by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, to go ahead with the planned local government elections this Saturday October 5, 2024, members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and supporters of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike Thursday, staged a protest in Port Harcourt calling for the suspension of the election.
The party said there is a Federal High Court judgement stopping the elections in the state, urging the State Government and RSIEC to obey the judgement.
The protesters who matched from the PDP secretariat along the Port Harcourt/ Aba Expressway to the Department of State Security Service, DSSS, office and the Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt, said the elections should not hold to avoid mayhem in the state.
Addressing party faithfuls and supporters at the DSS office and Police Headquarters where they submitted their protest letters, PDP chairman in the state, Chukwuemeka Aaron, said PDP as a law abiding party has complied with the judgement by opting out of the election, calling on the police and DSS to prevail on the government to comply with the judgement.
He further said to avoid causing crisis in the state, the election should not hold.
Aaron said: “There was a court judgement on the 30th of September, 2024 restraining RSIEC from conducting elections in Rivers State, reason being that they never complied with the laws of the elections and then restraining the security agencies and also INEC not to give them voters’ register.
“We as a party, we have also agreed to comply with the orders and judgements given and we are not participating in that election”.
The PDP chairman said the reason why they are protesting is that no man should be regarded as being higher than the law, saying; “This order must be obeyed by the state government and RSIEC for us not to cause mayhem and for peace to reign in Rivers State, we want to beg you to tell them that we don’t want problem in Rivers State, we need peace in Rivers State, so let there be no election”.
Aaron, however, urged party faithfuls not to take the laws into their hands saying; “We have registered our grievances with authorities that are concerned so as we are going, I want us to go peacefully.”
Port Harcourt Spectator reports that the protest was led by notable supporters of the FCT minister such as House of Representatives Minority Leader, Okechukwu Chinda, House of Representatives Chairman on Host Committees Committee, Dum Dekor, Emeka Woke – NOSDRA DG, Kelechi Nworgu representing Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency, former House of Representatives member, Emma Deeyah, Rep Felix Nwaeke representing Tai/ Oyigbo Federal Constituency, former state PDP chairman, Desmond Akawor.
Others includes; former local government chairmen such as Chidi Lloyd (Emohua), Erastus Awortu (Andoni), Obarillomate Ollor (Eleme), Hope Ikiriko (Ahoada West), George Ariolu (Obio/Akpor) amongst others.
