For the second time in less than 48 hours, supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, gathered on Saturday morning to stage a peaceful protest against the ongoing local government election in Rivers State. The demonstration took place around the Polio Club in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Port Harcourt.
The protesters, mostly youths, claimed they were gathered to tell the world that the council election in the state was illegitimate. They stated their compliance with the recent Abuja Federal High Court ruling, which ordered the Nigeria Police Force and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to steer clear of the polls. One protester, Henry Bobmanuel, stated, “We are law-abiding citizens, that’s why we are not participating in the elections. We gathered here to tell the world that there’s no local council election in Rivers State.”
Despite the ongoing protests, elections proceeded in all 23 local government areas of the state, with election materials distributed across wards and units.
In a related incident, suspected arsonists attacked the Port Harcourt Aba Road secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the early hours of Saturday. The explosion caused significant damage, destroying the secretariat’s gate, doors, windows, and other property. APC Chairman Chief Tony Okocha, who visited the scene, described the attack as a “reign of terror, horror, and impunity.”
State police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko stated that she had not yet received a report on the incident.
