Officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC and voters ran for their lives when police officers stormed Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City local government area, on Saturday.
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About 21 Hilux patrol vans with heavily armed officers drove into the school which has 10 polling units.
Officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSEIC) who had set up their stands were chased out of the Ward.
One of the policemen was heard saying, ‘”Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here? Common move!”
The policemen, some of whom were masked, also asked the officials to remove their vest and hand it to them.
The operatives also shot teargas canister directly into the crowd of people who who were running for their lives.
A policeman fired another teargas at by-standers at the entrance of the Street and residents who came out to cast their votes ran helter-skelter.
Many of RSIEC officials, voters and residents of the community ran into Boms streets in Elekahia community in confused manner, thereby creating tension in the area, as the several police patrol vans sped out of the area with many election materials.
When contacted, spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was not aware of the incident.
“I’m not aware. You are just telling me now, ” she said.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered his men not to provide security during the election, citing a court order.
On the election eve, Governor Siminalayi Fubara had accused the IGP of taking orders from some politicians in Abuja.
He had also vowed to hold Egbetokun responsible if there is breakdown of law and order in the state.
However, the IGP denied the allegations in a statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi.
Meanwhile, the local government election went peacefully in Rivers State, despite the absence of police to man the process.
Our correspondent learned that sensitive materials were distributed across the local government areas and after the election Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has regained control of the Local Government structure as his loyalists who contested elections under the Action Peoples Party (APP) have won all but one of the 23 chairmanship positions.
Chief Election Officer of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, declared the result in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Saturday night.
Wike had temporarily taken control of the local government structure after his loyalists emerged winners of the disputed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress which held last month.
However, not giving up the battle, Fubara directed his loyalists to defect to APP to contest the election.
Apparently realizing the influence of state government on LG elections and their outcome, Wike’s men had pulled out of the exercise, which was challenged in court, but Fubara vowed to go ahead.
The election held amid rancor and pockets of violence following withdrawal of the police to provide security.
Enebeli said the announcement of Etche, the only Local Government Area where chairmanship result has not been declared, would be made later.
Meanwhile, the PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers have cautioned against the declaration of results of the LG elections.
At a separate press conference on Saturday, Victor Giadom, APC chairman in the South-South, said the party boycotted the election because of discrepancies with the existing laws.
“The entire process of the local government election in Rivers state is in conflict with the laws of the land —If the process is done according to law, my party will participate in the election,” he said.
Tony Okocha, former Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in Rivers, also warned against declaring the results.
“We are amused that even after the receipt of the judgment, Governor Siminalayi Fubara broke into the gates of RSIEC and chased away police officers deployed in RSIEC to ensure compliance of the judgment,” Okocha said.
“We caution against any announcement or any attempt to announce fictitious individuals as elected chairmen in the local government area.
“Doing so is a clear-cut recipe for chaos and unrest. The governor’s attempts to enthrone his proteges into the councils will not work.”
On his part, Aaron Chukwuemeka, Rivers PDP chairman, said announcement of the results could incite violence.
“We can’t support or promote lawlessness or impunity in any form whatsoever, even though we are the ruling party in Rivers state.”
“The proper court judgments must be obeyed as we cannot choose or pick which order of court to obey or not to obey.
“We want to caution that any attempt to announce any result whatsoever will be an invitation to violence and will be properly resisted as no election held in the Rivers state on the 5th of October 2024 as ordered by the courts,” he said.
Earlier, Wike supporters had protested against the election which they declared as illegal.
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