Tensions flared at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, as protests broke out ahead of the Local Government election scheduled for October 5, 2024. A large crowd of protesters gathered, prompting security forces to step in and manage both the crowd and traffic in the surrounding area.
The unrest stems from 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). This delay follows a September 30 ruling by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred INEC from releasing the register due to ongoing legal disputes.
Despite the court’s decision, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has insisted that the local government elections will proceed as planned. He expressed confidence in the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling, which mandated that all states must have democratically elected local government officials, as justification for moving forward with the election.
