Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State early Friday spearheaded a delegation to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office in Port Harcourt to foil an alleged attempt to break into the facility and steal materials designated for the local government election scheduled for Saturday.
Police officers reportedly dispatched from neighbouring Abia State allegedly raided the area to execute a mission that was thwarted by Governor Fubara and his team.
In response, key government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the governor, Edison Ehie, and the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko Jumbo, along with National Assembly members aligned with Governor Fubara, gathered at the RSIEC office to intervene and prevent the operation.
In a late-night incident around 1 a.m., a group of rogue police officers allegedly attempted to breach the gates and secure areas of the Commission to steal sensitive electoral materials intended for Saturday’s local government elections in the state.
The operation was allegedly initiated by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP). However, their plans were thwarted when alert security personnel notified key officials within the Commission and relevant government authorities, prompting immediate communication with the Governor regarding the situation.
In a statement to reporters outside the RSIEC Office following a confrontation with police, Fubara criticized their actions, claiming the IGP was overstepping boundaries in his relationships with certain politicians in Abuja.
He expressed disapproval over the decision to withdraw police officers assigned to safeguard the facility and replace them with a unit from a neighbouring state. Fubara emphasized that local government elections fall under the jurisdiction of the states and urged the IGP to refrain from interfering in the internal matters of the federation unit.
Frances Ibiefo
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