Victor Ezeja
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has begun the the conduct of local government election in the state as scheduled for today, October 5.
Prime Business Africa observed that sensitive and non-sensitive election materials have been distributed to various wards and voting centres across the state.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelA video shared on the social media showed the arrival of election materials at Akuku-toru Local Government Area (LGA).
This is despite protest by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who called for a suspension of the exercise. The Nigerian Police Force also withdrew from providing security during election in obedience to a Federal High Court order, which barred the police from working during the exercise.
Meanwhile, there was an explosion early Saturday at the APC secretariat along Aba Road, in Port Harcourt. A video shared on the social media showed what looked a dynamite explosion that shattered the main gate and the security house of the APC secretariat in the state.
The state Governor, Siminalaiyi Fubara, had during a press conference on Friday insisted that the election must hold in the 23 local government areas in the state with or without the police presence.
READ ALSO: Tension As Rivers LG Poll Holds Today Despite Opposition
The governor based his action on a counter judgment by Rivers State High Court, which gave a full judicial backing to RSIEC to proceed with the 5th October LG election as scheduled.
RSIEC encouraged residents to go out and cast their vote, maintaining that the LG polls will hold as planned. “For the avoidance of doubt, we emphasise unequivocally that the 5th October, 2024 Local Government Council Elections in Rivers State, will hold as scheduled, and there is no going back,” RSIEC said in a statement.
Videos shared on the social media showed that election has started in many polling units across the state.
Accreditation and voting began at Ikoku area (unit 14 and 15) Port Harcourt City at around 8am. In a video shared by Channels Television, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Port Harcourt LGA and Chairmanship candidate of the APP commended RSIEC after casting his vote at Ward 18, units 14 and 15 on Saturday morning.
Also accreditation and voting are going on at the same time at Ward 10 unit 30 where former deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, voted.
Checks by Prime Business Africa showed that at about 10 am on Saturday, voting was ongoing at the various polling units in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state, with the Action Peoples Party (APP), the political party on whose platform loyalists of Governor Fubara are running, working to his polling unit in company of security aides, to cast his vote.
Also, at Ward 6, Unit 10 in Egwi-Etche in Etche Local Government Area, voting was going on.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
