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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Thursday morning staged a protest walk in Port Harcourt to demonstrate its opposition to the Local Government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5.
The party, which had earlier announced its opposition and non participation in the election mobilized its supporters across 319 wards of the 23 local government areas of the state to hold a peaceful protest calling on the police and other security agencies to ensure the enforcement of the order allegedly barring the conduct of the election.
Led by the state chairman of the party, Chukwuemeka Aaron, the protesters numbering several thousands defied the early morning heavy downpour and marched from the PDP Secretariat on Aba, through the office of the Department of Security Services (DSS) to the State Police headquarters.
Among the protesters were strong loyalists of Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike at the National Assembly, such as Kingsley Chinda, Dumnamene Dekor, former chief of staff to the state governor, Engr. Emeka Woke.
Some immediate past council chairmen, including that of Andoni Local Government Area, Erastus Awotu, Chidi Lloyd (Emohua), among others were also sighted among the protesters.
At the police headquarters, the PDP chairman said “We’re here to submit a petition to you from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), being led by me. Attached to this letter is an order of court, is a judgement of Federal High Court of September 30, 2024.
“In that order, it was expressly stated that RSIEC should not go ahead with the election and that same judgement, it was also ordered that INEC should not give them voters register, and then the security agencies were told not to participate in that election.
Chief Aaron added; “As law abiding citizens, we believe in justice and equity, rule of law and that is why we came to you to tell you that the governor and RSIEC should obey court judgement, no man is bigger than the law, we as a party, we’re not going to participate, and if they go ahead to do that election, and there becomes crisis, we as PDP we’re not going to fold our hands. That is why we’re begging security agencies to stop them from holding the election”.
Responding, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Adepoju Olugbenga who received the protesters on behalf of the State Commissioner of Police, Olatinji Disu, thanked the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully and orderly.
He said; “Thank you very much, onbehalf of the commissioner of Police who is unaviodably absent, I want to thank you for sending in this letter earlier. I want to thank you for sending in earlier for us to send security for this protest and for you, following due process. We appreciate it and want you to continue like that. Definitely, I will send your letter to CP who will send it to necessary quarters for action. I assure you that we’re happy the way you conducted yourselves, I want you to continue like that.”
The protesters also submitted their petition to the DSS who also promised to send the petition to the appropriate quarters
