Ahead of the scheduled Saturday, October 5, 2024 Rivers State Local Government Election, Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has foiled an attempt by some personnel of the Nigeria Police to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at about 1:00am on Friday, October 4, 2024.
The foiled attempted takeover was allegedly led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) of the Police Command in Rivers State.
A statement by Nelson Chukwudi, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Rivers State, said that Governor Siminalayi Fubara foiled an attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1 AM on Friday, 4th October, 2024.
Chukwudi said; “The rogue policemen were said to have attempted to scale through the gates and strong room of the Commission to cart away sensitive Electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the State.
“The deployment was said to have been ordered by the Inspector-General of Police.
“However, the evil plots of the rogue policemen and DC Ops were botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers of the Commission and relevant government authorities, who immediately informed the Governor of the development.
“The Governor immediately led a team of government officials, lawmakers from the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, top political stakeholders, and other leaders to storm the facility,” he said.
The statement further said that Governor Fubara condemned the conduct of the policemen on illegal duty, stressing that the IGP was taking his friendship with some Abuja-based politicians too far.
Fubara restated the position that the attempt to surreptitiously withdraw policemen already deployed to protect the facility, and replace them with a detachment from a neighbouring State was unacceptable.
The Governor said local government election was the internal affairs of states, and advised the IGP to allow the federation unit conduct its affairs without interference.
The statement said following the development, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and State and National Assembly members, and other stakeholders, are manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the policemen in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles do not return.
Fubara insisted that Local Government Councils elections will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.
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