The Rivers State police command has beefed up security at the State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office along Aba Road in the state capital ahead of the October 5 local government election in the state.
The police command has also dispelled insinuations that it has sealed up the RSIEC office as reported by some sections of the media on Tuesday.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Grace Iringe- Koko who made the clarification on Tuesday said “Our men are only there to forestall breakdown of law and order in that area as a result of the ongoing October 1 protest in the state. We are only doing our job to maintain law and order. Besides, it’s a public holiday and no activity is going on there. So there is nothing like stopping activities there”
The local government election has become another ground for muscle flexing by the camps of the state Governor and the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike with both camps approaching different courts to seek judicial support to either hold the election or put it on hold.
A High Court in Port Harcourt had mandated the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to conduct the election in accordance with the law that set up the state electoral umpire,RSIEC. The court also mandated the police and other security agencies in the state to provide security for the election.
On the other hand a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered that the election should not be held. The order followed a suit filed by pro Wike camp seeking the stoppage of the election.
Governor Fubara has however insisted that it is a state election and that RSIEC is empowered by law to conduct the election, hence nothing would stop the election from holding as scheduled.
Addressing the Chairman of RSIEC on Monday when he paid an unscheduled visit to the RSIEC office, the Governor said, “Chairman nobody has the right to interrupt the process, this is Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, it belongs to Rivers State and I am the Governor, so if there is anything let me know, I will come here personally”.
