Hundreds of protesters, including members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), flooded the streets of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday to oppose the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5.
The demonstrators, holding various placards, gathered at the PDP Secretariat and marched along Azikiwe Road toward the Government House. A heavy presence of security personnel and patrol vans was deployed to monitor the situation.
The aggrieved protesters cited a Federal High Court ruling that halted the elections, urging both the state government and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to comply with the court’s decision.
The protesters moved from the PDP secretariat, marching along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway to the Department of State Security Service (DSS) office and the police headquarters. They insisted that conducting the elections could lead to chaos in the state, presenting protest letters to various security agencies.
Chukwuemeka Aaron, the PDP chairman in Rivers State, stated that the party respects the court’s ruling by opting out of the elections. He called on the police and DSS to pressure the government into compliance to prevent unrest.
Aaron said: “There was a court judgement on September 30, 2024, restraining RSIEC from conducting elections in Rivers State, as they did not comply with electoral laws. This order also restrains the security agencies and INEC from providing them with the voters’ register. We as a party have also agreed to comply with the orders, and we are not participating in that election.”
He further emphasized that no individual should be considered above the law, urging compliance with the court order to maintain peace in Rivers State. He added, “We want to beg you to tell them that we don’t want problems in Rivers State; we need peace, so let there be no election.”
Aaron encouraged party members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, stating, “We have registered our grievances with the concerned authorities, and as we are going, I want us to go peacefully.”
The protest was led by prominent figures, including House of Representatives Minority Leader Okechukwu Chinda, and various former local government chairmen. The group united in their call for the election to be canceled to ensure stability in the region.
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