A cloud of controversy is hanging on the preparation for the October 5 local government elections in Rivers State.

The state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Tony Okocha, has rejected plans for the polls, accusing Governor Siminalayi Fubara of violating the court order.

However, the governor who has vowed to conduct the election has declared today and tomorrow as public holiday.

There is anxiety in the State as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to release the voter?s register critical to the exercise, in consonance with the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Rivers State, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, said there was no truth in the claim by RISIEC that it got the register from INEC.

Yesterday, the police denied sealing the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC) in Port-Harcourt, the state capital

Why INEC has not released voter?s register, by REC

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Sinikiem explained that INEC?s tradition had been to provide the voter?s register to RSIEC before the elections as mandated by the law.

But he said such tradition was encumbered by the orders from the High Court.

The REC clarified that INEC?s Department of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) was in charge of the register in soft copies.

Sinikiem said: ?The tradition of the commission is that before an election for state at the local government, the only responsibility that we have is to give them voters? register because we are empowered to maintain and keep voters? register for the country.

?However, to make it very clear, the RSIEC has written to us about two times for release of the register, but we have not released it before we received from our headquarters an order from a Federal High Court restraining INEC from releasing the registers.

?So, until now we have not officially handed over the Rivers state voters? register to RSIEC. We have not, the ICT department housed the voter register.

?And voters register is in soft copy and it is in two ways, either we give it to them in soft copy, we photocopy it both black and white and coloured then we stamp certified through copy.

?But we have not given them, there is no register in our office that will show that we have handed over such document to them. But they have written.?

He added: ?I have the one of the Federal High Court from Abuja which was sent to me by my headquarters directing me to comply with the court order. I have not seen another court order from the state High Court.

?It is administrative. It is not that we withheld it, but when the RSIEC request, they have to come for the processes, they have not come to conclude the processes before we got the court order. We have not released it.?

Beke: Why poll should hold

The Emeka Beke-led factional APC said that the poll should hold on Saturday.

The chairmsn explained that by virtue of the judgement that sacked Tony Okocha as the caretaker committee chairman of the APC, the suit he instituted had become defective because he was an impostor.

Beke, who leads a faction of the party, said the APC would participate in the elections, clarifying that the suit that birthed the judgement was unknown to the party.

There was confusion, following claims by RSIEC Chairman Justice Adolphus Enebeli that RISIEC had already received the voters? register from INEC before the litigation.

Enebeli said: ?We (RSIEC) are proactive. We follow due process. Even before the cases went to court, we had liaise with INEC. The correspondences are there. That is it. It is the gift of patience, planning.

?I?m not a last minute man. I plan ahead. And so all these things were concluded since last year the correspondences are there.

?The display of register will be carried out in all the 6, 866 polling units in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.?

We will conduct poll, Fubara insists

After confirming from Enebeli that the commission was ready for the poll, Fubara vowed to deal with anybody attempting to truncate the exercise.

Fubara said: ?Our election will hold on the 5th of October, 2024. I?m aware that RISIEC told me that they already had an order mandating them to conduct the election on the 5th October, 2024, and the security agencies to support them.

?So, I think with that order, the election will hold. I might not be a lawyer, but I know there is something they call first-in-hand, and since they have the first-in- hand, we will give them all the necessary support for that election to be conducted. And it will be one of the best elections ever conducted free and fair in this State.

?What is important to me is the interest of Rivers State, that it has to be alive. It doesn?t belong to anybody. I don?t care who nominated you but do the right thing, that is what is important to me, because if we make a mistake today, it is going to live with us.?

Police deny sealing RSIEC office

The Rivers State Police Command refuted claims that it sealed off the RSIEC office.

Police Spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko told reporters that the report about sealing was false.

She said that police officers were stationed at the RSIEC office to safeguard the premises from potential attacks during the October 1 protest.

She said: ?The police presence at the facility is strictly for security purposes and not to interfere with the electoral process.?

APC: poll can?t hold

Rivers State APC, led by Caretaker Chairman Tony Okocha accused Fubara of instigating trouble by going ahead with the poll plan.

He said the state was drifting into anarchy because of the governor?s impunity.

A statement by the Secretary, Eric Nwibani, and Publicity Secretary, Chubuike Ikenga, chided the governor for his penchant for violating the law.

It said: ?We?re watching Rivers State drift into a state of lawlessness, because of fragnant impunity and impunity of one man who is self seeking.

Fubara declares two-day holiday

Fubara has declared today and tomorrow as public holidays to enable residents of the state travel to their various communities to participate in the elections.

The governor also announced restrictions of vehicular movement from midnight of Friday, October 4 to 5pm on poll day.

Fubara, who made the declarations in a broadcast to the people, said the polls became necessary, following the expiration of the three-year tenure of the chairmen and councilors of the 23 local government councils on June 17.

He said he lawfully instituted caretaker committees to temporarily administer the councils, pending when the RSIEC would conduct the elections.

He said to the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on July 11 effectively outlawed the administration of local councils with unelected officers.

Fubara said: ?Following Mr President?s intervention, the period for compliance with the Supreme Court?s judgment was graciously extended by three months, which will expire on the 31st of October 2024.

?On the strength of these positive developments, I directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to take definite steps to conduct local government elections for the 23 local Government Councils of Rivers State.

?Acting on this directive, the RSIEC has since fixed and concluded all arrangements to conduct the Local Government Council election on Saturday 5th October 2024?.

Fubara highlighted the legal impetus of RSIEC to conduct the local government elections, saying it was further strengthened by the judgment of the Rivers State High Court delivered on the 4th of September 2024.

He said the judgment directed the governor of Rivers State, the Government of Rivers State and the RSIEC to conduct the scheduled local government elections on the 5th of October 2025 using the 2023 Independent National Electoral Commission?s Voters? register already in the custody of RSIEC.

He said: ?As of today, RSIEC has expressed and demonstrated concrete and verifiable capacity and readiness to conduct the 2024 Rivers State Local Government Elections on the 5th of October 2024.

?As of today, 17 out of 18 registered political parties, including the All Progressives Congress, have expressly and actively demonstrated their willingness to participate by filling candidates with RSIEC for the election.

?As of today, over 10 States in Nigeria have conducted local government council elections using the 2023 INEC Voters? Register since the Supreme Court?s judgment and Rivers State cannot be an exception.

?As the Governor of Rivers State, I swore to uphold the Constitution of Nigeria and abide by the rule of law and the principles of democracy.

?Any failure on our part to conduct the Local Government election would be a clear disobedience of the Supreme Court?s mandatory order that no State Government must administer the Local Government Councils in Nigeria with unelected officers with the attendant consequence of the State and the people being denied the statutory allocations due to the 23 local government areas of the State.

?The Rivers State Government would also be acting in contempt of the judgment of the High Court of Rivers State in Suit No: PHC/2696/CS/2024, which restrains the Governor, the State Government, and RSIEC from scuttling the conduct of the local government elections scheduled for October 5th, 2024?.

Fubara insisted that on the strengths of the provisions of the Constitution as amended, the Supreme Court Judgment and the judgment of the High Court of Rivers State, the state government remained irrevocably committed to conducting the election.

The governor said: ?Against these backgrounds, I wish to assure every resident that the election for the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State shall be held on Saturday 5th October 2024 throughout the State.

?The State Government has provided the necessary funds and logistics for RSIEC, which has assured me that it is fully prepared and ready to conduct and deliver a fair, free, and credible Local Government Council election as scheduled.

?Therefore, I wish to advise and request all registered voters to go to their polling units to exercise their franchise by voting for the candidates of their choice as security personnel would be there to maintain order and ensure peaceful polls as a matter of constitutional duty.

?We are leaving no stone unturned to enable all registered voters to travel to their communities to participate and peacefully exercise their civic responsibility at their polling units.

?To this end, I hereby declare Thursday and Friday, the 3rd and 4th of October 2024 as public holidays for citizens to travel to their communities and participate in the election.

?Furthermore, I hereby place a total restriction on vehicular and human movements into, within, and out of the State, and the Local Government Areas, from midnight of Friday 4th October 2024 to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 5th October 2024, except for persons and vehicles valid identifications who are on election and other essential duties?.

Fubara said the police and other security agencies had clear directives from the state?s Security Council to arrest and prosecute any person or group attempting to violate the restriction on human and vehicular movements on election day.

He added: ?As citizens, we all owe our State the commitment to support the RSIEC to succeed in delivering on its constitutional duty to conduct a free, fair, and credible Local Government Council election to usher in a new set of democratically elected leaders to administer the 23ocal government councils.? (The Nation)

Update news