Despite all odds, Rivers State local government elections took place, yesterday, amid gunshots, bomb explosions and protests in some parts of the state.
The development, which did not fall short of pre-election predictions, left many residents worried, especially as a result of minimal presence of the police across all polling areas.
The police had earlier said they were not providing security for the polls given a court order restraining them and other security agencies from providing security during the poll. A Federal High Court in Abuja had prevented the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from releasing the 2023 voter register to RSIEC. It also stopped the Inspector-General of Police and Department of State Services, DSS, from providing security for the exercise.
Henry Bobmanuel, one of the protesters said: “We are law abiding citizens of Rivers State. That is why we are not participating in the elections. We gathered here to tell the world that there is no local council election in River s State.” While the Wike group was protesting, elections had started in a good number of the LGAs.
The alleged loyalists of Wike had while residents were expecting the arrival of electoral materials in the area, caused uproar, claiming to be enforcing the order, which barred INEC from releasing the 2023 voters register to RSIEC. While residents of Igwuruta were preparing to go to their units, the youths started chasing people back to their houses, insisting that the polls would not be held in the area.
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