Gov Fubara Visits RSIEC, Insists Council Poll Must Hold

Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara on Monday visited the headquarters of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, the State capital.

Didactic Information Hut reports that the impromptu visit was to check the level of preparedness of the commission ahead of this Saturday’s local government election in Rivers State.

The Governor who was briefed by the Chairman of RSIEC, Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, vowed to personally confront anyone who dares to prevent the smooth conduct of the local government election. Gov Fubara reiterated his earlier comment that Rivers State doesn’t belong to only one Man.

He said, “Our election will hold on October 5. I am aware that RSIEC told me they already have an order mandating them to conduct the election on 5th and the security agencies should support them.”

“So, I think with that order the election will hold. I might not be a lawyer, but there is something they call first in hand and since they have the first in hand we will give them all the necessary support for that election to be conducted and it will be one of the best elections ever conducted in Rivers State, free and fair in this State.”.

Retired Justice Enebeli reassured the Governor during the visit that all was set for the conduct of the local government election in Rivers State.

Didactic Information Hut recalls that the APC had dragged RSIEC to a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, who set aside all the processes taken by the Rivers State Government, and also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter’s register used in the conduct of the 2023 general election to the RSIEC for the purpose of conducting the October 5, 2024 local government elections in the state.

Justice Lifu, in a judgment delivered on Monday, further restrained the Inspector General (IG) of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the said election.

Justice Lifu’s judgement is against an earlier order issued by a High Court in Rivers State, which had cleared the coast for the conduct of the October 5 polls.

Justice I. Igwe of the Rivers State High Court had, in a judgment delivered on September 4, had ordered the Rivers State electoral body to conduct the October 5 council polls using the 2023 voter’s register.

It is unclear if the local government election will still hold as scheduled on the 5th of October, 2024 if the Police chooses to obey Justice Lifu and refuses to provide security for the exercise.

But Retired Justice Enebeli insists that there is no legal impediments to the exercise as RSIEC had earlier got the voters’ register from INEC before the commencement of the controversial suit by the APC.