Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, successfully thwarted an attempt made by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) State Command, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take control of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) in the early hours of Friday.
Reports indicate that police personnel attempted to breach the gates and secure areas of the Commission to remove sensitive electoral materials designated for the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5.
This police action was allegedly ordered by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
However, the officers’ plans were disrupted when alert security personnel notified key officials at the Commission and relevant government bodies, who promptly informed the governor of the situation.
In response, Governor Fubara swiftly assembled a team of government officials, National Assembly members, State House of Assembly representatives, and prominent political figures to address the issue at the facility.
Speaking to the media outside the RSIEC office on Aba Road in Port Harcourt following the confrontation with the officers, Fubara condemned the police’s unlawful actions, asserting that the IGP was allowing his relationships with certain Abuja-based politicians to unduly influence his judgment.
He reiterated that the attempt to secretly withdraw the police personnel assigned to secure the facility and replace them with a contingent from a neighboring state was intolerable.
Fubara emphasized that local government elections are an internal matter of the state and urged the IGP to permit the state to manage its own affairs without external interference.
