Protest erupts in Rivers PDP secretariat over LG poll

Protests have began at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, as tensions rose ahead of the Local Government election scheduled for October 5, 2024.

The protesters arrived in large numbers at the party’s secretariat forcing security operatives to step in to control the crowd and manage traffic congestion in the area.

The unrest follows growing concerns over the delay in the release of the 2023 Voters’ Register by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

Recall that Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a ruling delivered on September 30, 2024, stopped INEC from releasing the voters’ register to RSIEC due to legal challenges.

READ ALSO: PDP leaders protest Edo governorship election results in INEC office

Despite the court ruling, Governor Siminalayi Fubara maintained that the election would go on as planned.

Fubara expressed confidence that the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling, which mandated that all states in the federation must have democratically elected local government executives, supports his position.

Fubara has been in a running battle with his immediate predecessor, Nyesom Wike, over who will control the state’s political structure.

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