Some members of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have called for immediate intervention to prevent the state government from disregarding court rulings. They warned that failure to obey these rulings could lead to a breakdown of law and order, urging swift action to avoid such consequences. Their concerns arose over the upcoming local government council elections, which they claim are being pushed forward despite a court order prohibiting them.
The state chairman of the PDP, Aaron Chukwuemeka, made a public appeal for intervention on Thursday, following the submission of protest letters to key security agencies in Rivers State. Chukwuemeka emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the elections scheduled for October 5, 2024, should be halted to prevent the disobedience of legal judgments and to uphold the rule of law in the state.
According to reports from GistReel, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, who are aligned with Minister Nyesom Wike, joined forces with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Tony Okocha in staging a protest. They marched to various government offices, including the offices of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters, voicing their demands that the local government elections be suspended.
The protesters gathered initially at the PDP state secretariat on Aba Road before commencing their march to the DSS and police headquarters. During their protest, Chukwuemeka highlighted their concerns, stressing that the security agencies must intervene to prevent the elections from proceeding. He warned that if the authorities fail to act, the PDP would not sit idly by while the elections take place in defiance of the court order. The party remains committed to maintaining peace and ensuring that the rule of law is respected in Rivers State.
Chukwuemeka said, “We are here to submit a petition to you from the Peoples Democratic Party, Rivers State, ably led by my humble self, the state chairman of our great party, Hon. Aaron Chukwuemeka. Attached to this letter is an order of court, Federal High Court, a judgement of the Federal High Court dated September 30, 2023. In that order, it was clearly stated that RSIEC (Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission) should not proceed with the election. Furthermore, the judgement specified that INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) should not provide voter registers for the election, and security agencies were instructed not to participate in the process.”
He continued, “As law-abiding citizens, we strongly believe in justice, equity, and the rule of law. This is why we are here today, to ask you to ensure that the governor and RSIEC comply with the court’s judgment. No one is above the law. We, as a party, have decided that we will not participate in this election. However, if they choose to go ahead with it despite the court order, and this results in a crisis, the PDP will not stand by and allow such actions to go unchallenged.”
Chukwuemeka reiterated his call for the security agencies to intervene, urging them to stop the election from taking place. He added, “We are pleading with the security agencies to stop them from conducting this election, as it would be a violation of the court’s ruling and could lead to unrest in the state.”
Addressing the protesters, the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operation, Adepoju Olugbenga, assured them that their letter would be delivered to the appropriate authorities for further action. He emphasized the importance of following due process and maintaining peace throughout the state during this period of political tension.