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Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, says nothing will stop the local government election in the state from holding.
Early Friday morning, Fubara stormed the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Police operatives had barricaded the facility where electoral materials are kept.
Security operatives who were at the RSIEC office departed shortly after Fubara arrived at the building in the company of some lawmakers and government officials.
The Rivers police command had said its officers would not provide security for the election.
Grace Iringe-Koko, police spokesperson in Rivers, said the command is complying with an order of the federal high court in Abuja.
Fubara said the presence of police officers at the RISEC premises was unnecessary.
The governor alleged that Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), is taking orders from Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
Rivers has been embroiled in crisis since the supremacy battle between Fubara and Wike began.
The local government election is now being viewed in both camps as a referendum on who really controls the grassroots.
The Wike camp is seemingly opposed to the conduct of the election on Saturday.
On September 30, a federal high court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The court also barred the inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the exercise.
On October 2, INEC said it had not released the voter register to RSIEC for the conduct of the election, in compliance with the verdict of the federal high court.
On October 3, a crowd besieged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, to protest against the planned local government election.
Despite the chaos, Fubara has vowed to proceed with the election and has declared Thursday and Friday as public holidays.
Source: Swifteradio.com
