This comes after an incident at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office, where Fubara claims police officers attempted to interfere with preparations for the upcoming local government elections.
In a press conference held in Port Harcourt on Friday, Fubara detailed how he personally intervened to prevent what he described as an attempt by the Nigerian Police to remove election materials from the RSIEC office.
Fubara said:
Fubara stated that the police presence included one truck and three empty vans, which he said were part of a deliberate attempt to steal election materials. However, the governor claimed that his swift action prevented the situation from escalating.
The governor accused the police of overstepping their bounds and attempting to interfere with a state-controlled process.
His words:
Fubara also raised questions about a Federal High Court judgment, which he claimed was being used to justify the police’s actions.
He argued that the ruling did not grant the police the authority to seal RSIEC premises or stop the elections.
He said:
The governor emphasized that local government elections are a state matter, and no federal institution has the authority to dictate how they are conducted.
Fubara ended his address by vowing to resist any attempts to stop the local government elections scheduled for Saturday.
He urged the police and other security agencies to focus on providing protection rather than disrupting the democratic process.
He said:
Earlier, TimesNow.com.ng reported that tensions flared on Thursday, October 3, as protesters stormed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Specifically, they were heard demanding clarity and transparency ahead of the Local Government election scheduled for October 5, 2024.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
