PDP Wike Supporters Protest Upcoming Local Government Elections in Rivers State

Loyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, took to the streets of Port Harcourt today in protest against the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2024.

The protesters, who gathered at the PDP secretariat before marching through the city, carried placards denouncing the planned elections. These demonstrators represent a faction of the PDP that supports Wike, signaling growing internal divisions within the party as the election approaches.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in a statewide broadcast, had earlier declared public holidays on Thursday, October 3, and Friday, October 4, to allow residents time to return to their communities to vote. He also imposed a restriction on vehicular movement from midnight on Friday until 5:00 PM on Election Day.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has sharply criticized the Fubara administration’s decision to proceed with the elections. The party accused the government of fostering lawlessness and ignoring legal challenges to the legitimacy of the polls. APC caretaker committee chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, warned that the governor’s actions were driving the state toward instability.

Okocha further noted that instead of addressing a recent Federal High Court ruling that questioned the elections’ legality, the Fubara-led administration has been pursuing additional court orders to bypass the judgement.