The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State on Thursday launched a protest against the local government area (LGA) elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5th.
Led by the party’s Chairman, Chukwuemeka Aaron, PDP supporters defied heavy rainfall to stage the protest. The demonstration began at the PDP Secretariat on the Port Harcourt-Aba expressway and proceeded to the Rivers State Police Headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
Upon arrival at the police headquarters, the protesters submitted a formal petition urging security agencies to stay away from the upcoming LGA election. The party alleged that the election was illegal, citing a court order that had halted the poll.
Speaking while handing over the petition, Aaron accused the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, of flouting the rule of law by proceeding with the election despite the court’s directive.
“The governor has chosen to disregard the rule of law, and we are calling on the police to respect the court’s decision. There is a subsisting court order stopping the election, and we urge the police to refrain from providing security for an illegal election,” Aaron stated.
He further reiterated the party’s stance that any participation in the election by security forces would be seen as an endorsement of lawlessness. “We want to remind the police that they are an arm of the judiciary and should not support any election that violates the law.”
The protest, which attracted a large crowd of PDP supporters, caused significant traffic disruptions along the Port Harcourt-Aba expressway, with demonstrators carrying placards denouncing the upcoming election.
The PDP’s protest comes amid heightened political tension in Rivers State, with opposition parties accusing the ruling government of attempting to manipulate the election process.
