In a dramatic turn of events early Friday morning, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State led a robust delegation to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office in Port Harcourt to thwart an alleged attempt by police officers to seize materials intended for the local government elections scheduled for Saturday.
Reports indicate that a group of policemen, reportedly dispatched from neighboring Abia State, attempted to breach the RSIEC facility around 1:00 AM. Their mission was interrupted by Fubara and a coalition of government officials, including the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, and Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko Jumbo, along with National Assembly members aligned with the governor.
According to a statement released by Fubara’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, the police officers were seen trying to scale the gates and access the strong room of the Commission to unlawfully remove sensitive electoral materials. The statement alleged that the operation was sanctioned by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
“The nefarious plans of the police were thwarted when vigilant security personnel alerted key officials of the Commission and relevant government authorities, who promptly notified the Governor,” Chukwudi explained.
After the confrontation, Governor Fubara addressed the media outside the RSIEC office, condemning the actions of the police. He accused the IGP of taking his relationships with certain Abuja-based politicians too far, emphasizing that the replacement of local security with officers from another state was unacceptable.
Fubara asserted that local government elections fall under the jurisdiction of state affairs and urged the IGP to respect the autonomy of the state in managing its electoral processes.
When contacted for comment, Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, stated that she was not aware of the incident.