Ahead of the October 5 local government elections in Rivers State, the Nigeria police is in the spotlight again after a number of controversial moves that have attracted public criticisms.
In the early hours of Friday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara foiled an alleged attempt by the police to break into the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office in Port Harcourt to cart away materials meant for Saturday’s local government election in Rivers State.
Daily Trust reported that policemen allegedly from Abia State “were said to have stormed the place to carry out the mission foiled by Fubara and his men.”
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A press statement issued in Port Harcourt in the early hours of Friday by Governor Fubara’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Nelson Chukwudi, said the policemen 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 dtate, alleging that the deployment was ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.
The statement said the “evil plots of the policemen and DC Ops” were however stopped when 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,” Nelson stated.
The one-man syndrome
Addressing journalists in the early hours of Friday, Governor Fubara accused the police chief of having an unprofessional relationship with “one man who thinks he owns Rivers State.” He did not mention the name of the man.
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He explained that the IG was acting on a court judgment from the Federal High Court in Abuja, while disregarding an earlier judgment that said the local government election would take place.
“The election must hold. The judgment they said they got from the Federal High Court, Abuja, did not say the election must hold,” he said, wondering why the police were taking sides in the crisis.
“When it comes to Rivers State, the case becomes different,” he noted.
Fubara dares police
On Thursday night, the Rivers State police command had issued a statement, saying their officers would not provide security for the October 5 local government elections in the state.
In a statement issued on Thursday night, police spokesperson in Rivers, Ms Grace Iringe-Koko, said the command was complying with an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
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But Mr Fubara replied the police on Friday, saying he did not need them for the election.
“Keep your security, I do not need it. It happened in Anambra State. This election must hold on Saturday. The result will be declared, the winners will be sworn in,” the governor noted.
“Enough is enough,” he said, daring the IG to shoot at him.
The crisis in Rivers State
Mr Fubara and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, are fighting for the control of Rivers State political structures.
Their collision has led to the defection of 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). It also led to the incineration of the state House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt in October 2023.
Mr Wike helped Governor Fubara to power in the 2023 general elections but they have since fallen out.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Wike as Minister of the FCT in 2023, but he claims that he is not in support of either camps involved in Rivers State crisis.