Members of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a large protest in Port Harcourt, marching to both the Department of State Security (DSS) office and the Government House to voice their opposition to the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The protest, which caused traffic disruptions in the area, saw PDP members carrying placards and banners while chanting slogans along the highway.
One of the banners read, “TAI people say no to lawlessness. Say no to LGA election. RSIEC must obey court judgement. SIM must obey court judgement.”
The demonstrators initially gathered at the PDP secretariat on Aba Road before marching to the DSS facility in the Old GRA area.
There, they submitted a petition opposing the elections, citing concerns about the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s (RSIEC) compliance with court rulings.
Afterward, the protesters continued their march to the government house.
The protest was supported by members of the Tony Okocha-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Several notable figures, including former local government chairmen, members of the House of Representatives, and former officials loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, were present at the demonstration.
Speaking at the DSS office, Aron Chukwuemeka, a PDP stakeholder in Rivers State, explained that the protest was primarily aimed at opposing the October 5 local government elections, which they believe are being conducted without adherence to court rulings.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that it had not yet released the 2023 voter register to RSIEC.
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Alalibo, explained that while RSIEC had applied for the register, administrative reasons had delayed its release.
He also noted that the commission had received a court judgement from Abuja preventing the release of the register to RSIEC.
