PDP Protests Court-Defying Election in Rivers

Hundreds of supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, staged a protest at the head office of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Police Headquarters in Rivers, over Saturday’s local government election in the State.

The protesters marched through Port Harcourt Aba road office of PDP stopped at the Forces Avenue office of DSS from where they proceeded to the Moscow road Headquarters of the Nigerian Police.

They were armed with placards with inscriptions such as “RSIEC obey court order”, “Rivers State is not lawless”, “Say no to impunity,”.

The protesters expressed anger that despite court order and judgement the State electoral body is going ahead to conduct the election.

One of the protesters, John Amadi, who spoke with our reporter at DSS office, said, they were there to inform them on the need to obey court order which barred them and the police from providing security during the election.

“We are members of PDP and are here at DSS office to protest against the Saturday’s local government area election in Rivers State. There was a court judgement barring both the DSS and Police from providing security during the election. We want to let them know that PDP will not participate in the election and that the security agencies should equally obey the court order by not providing security for the election.”

The protesters were received by the officials of both DSS and Police who advised them to maintain peace and not take laws into their hands.

There is uncertainty over the Saturday’s local government elections.

While RSIEC has insisted there is no going back in conducting the election, both APC and PDP have aid they will not participate in the election.

Chief Tony Okocha-led faction of APC in the State on Wednesday said the party would not allow the election to hold.

Okocha, who faulted Governor Similanayi Fubara’s insistence on going ahead with the election, said he would challenge what he described as governor’s impunity in disobeying court orders.

He said the local government election law states that a 90-day period should be given for all political parties that want to participate in an election to prepare for the election.

He said the governor violated the law by scheduling election within 30 days.