…Say state govt, RSIEC must obey court orders
… Fubara declares self greatest loser in LG poll
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday marched under the rain to the office of Department State Security Service, DSS, and headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command in Port Harcourt to protest against Saturday October 5 local government elections in the state.
Daily Champion reports that the State PDP Chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, led the protesters along with the Deputy Minority Leader of the party in the House of representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, other Rivers reps members, Director General of NOSDRA, Chief Chukwuemeka Woke, former State PDP Chairman, Amb. Desmond Akawo and other stakeholders of the party, from the PDP Secretariat along Port Harcourt-Aba Road to the DSS office and later to the police headquarters.
The protesters caused heavy traffic along the Port Harcourt-Aba Road as well as the Azikiwe Road as they marched through the front of the government house with tight security escort, displaying placards with inscriptions, “RSIEC must comply to court order”, “Sim must obey the law”, “Tai People say no to lawlessness, and “No to LGA elections, no crisis”, among others.
Speaking while registering their petition at the DSS office in Port Harcourt, the state PDP Chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka demanded that the Rivers State Government and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, be compelled to stop the election process in obedience to Court judgement stopping the exercise.
An Abuja Federal High Court had on September 30, restrained INEC from releasing voters register RSIEC, but the Rivers State Governer, Siminalayi Fubara said the RSIEC said they have the mandate of the supreme court and that of a Rivers State High Court to go ahead with exercise using the 2023 voters register.
The PDP chairman, Chukwuemeka Aaron while speaking at the DSS office where they submitted their petition said, the September 30 Court judgement must be obeyed for peace to reign in the state.
He said, “The Court order must be obeyed by Rivers State Government and the RSIEC. Tell them that we don’t want problem, we don’t want mayhem in Rivers State, we need peace and we want peace to reign in Rivers State. Let there be no election.
“Yesterday we heard that there is public holiday today and tomorrow because of the election, that’s why we said no. Tell them that we, as law abiding people, we believe in the rule of law. We have complied to the Court judgment let them obey the law.”
“Addressing newsmen at the Rivers Police headquarters, Aaron said, “PDP as a party, we believe in equity and we believe in rule of law. No party is above the law. For the election they are planning on Saturday, we are not party to it. We won’t participate.
“There will be no election because of the Federal High court judgement, we have notified the police and all the security agencies. The court stated it clearly that RSIEC should not go ahead with the election and that INEC should not release the voters register to RSIEC.
“And INEC yesterday said they have not released any voters register to RSIEC or any person. So, all party must abide to the judgment stopping the election.
“We are not in Banana republic where everytime, people disobey court orders. We have told them there will be no election, and we are not party to their plans because we want to obey court order.
“We have registered our grievances to authorities that are concerned. So, I want to thank all of you and beg you to remain peaceful. There is nothing to fight about.”
