Restore Peace In Rivers, Tinubu Orders IGP Over Post Elections Violence
Restore Peace In Rivers, Tinubu Orders IGP Over Post Elections Violence https://osazuwaakonedo.news/restore-peace-in-rivers-tinubu-orders-igp-over-post-elections-violence/07/10/2024/ #Issues #elections #Fubara #Nyesom #PortHarcourt #Rivers #RSIEC #Siminalayi #Tinubu #Wike Published: October 7th, 2024 Reshared: October 8, 2024 3:58 pm
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00:00Nigeria President, Bola Amad Sinubu has ordered the Inspector General of Police, IJP Kayode
00:07Egmetokun to return peace, law and order to reverse state following violence that erupted
00:12across the state on Monday morning after the winners of the local government area chairpersons
00:18and councillors' poems were declared on Sunday.
00:22President Sinubu in a statement signed and made available by the Presidential Advisor
00:26on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the police should secure the local government
00:32area secretariats while urging the state governor, Fubara Similalai and other parties involved
00:38in the elections to seek redress in court and avoid self-help.
00:42The election's results showed that the Action People's Party upwind most of the positions
00:47in the local government elections as the party secured 314 out of 319 councillorship seats
00:55across the state's 23 local government areas.
00:59The Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, Justice Adolfos
01:06Enebeli, announced the results in Port Harcourt on Sunday, stating the APP also won 22 out
01:13of the 23 local government area chairmanship seats.
01:18According to the RSIEC, the APP won 314 wards, while the All Progressives' Congress, Labour
01:25Party, Social Democratic Party and Young People's Party each clinched one seat.
01:32Channels Television on Monday reported that the Rivers State local government elections
01:37may have concluded successfully, but tension remains between factions loyal to Governor
01:42Similalai Fubara and those aligned with the FCT Minister Nyesomweke.
01:48Governor Fubara had on Sunday raised concerns about an alleged plan to obstruct the newly
01:53elected Chairman as the Resume Office.
01:56On Monday, those concerns played out in some councils.
02:00In Ahoda East local government area, the newest one in Chairman Chibudong Hezekiah along with
02:06councillors and a large crowd of supporters, encountered resistance at the council gate,
02:12where a small group attempted to prevent them from gaining access.
02:16However, with the intervention of security operatives and the insistence of the crowd,
02:22the situation was brought under control, allowing the Chairman and his team to enter the council.
02:28Amidst jubilation, the new councillors proceeded with their swearing-in ceremony.
02:34Afterward, they moved directly to their chambers to hold their first sitting.
02:40Chairman Hezekiah alleged that the brief disruption at the gate was orchestrated by the former
02:45Chairman, Benjamin Eke, who is loyal to Weeke.
02:49He emphasized that the will of the people is greater.
02:52Channel's television reached out to Eke via telephone, and he confirmed that he was responsible
02:58for the resistance.
03:00However, he explained that his actions were in protest of the elections, which he believes
03:06should not have taken place due to a court order from Abuja.
03:10Earlier on Monday, police authorities announced the reopening of the 23 local government council
03:17secretariats following the successful conduct of the elections.
03:21They have also withdrawn their officers who were previously blocking access to the councils.
03:27With ongoing tensions, one can only hope for peace to prevail to enable the required development
03:34at the grassroots level of River State.
03:37However, President Mullah Thinubo has called on Governor Siminale Ifubara, political leaders
03:43and their supporters in River State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law.
03:49In response to recent tensions following last Saturday's local government council election,
03:54the President expressed deep concern over reports of arson and explosions in the state.
04:00He urged all political actors to de-escalate the situation and discourage their supporters
04:06from engaging in violence or destructive actions.
04:10President Thinubo directed the police to restore and maintain peace, law and order.
04:16Immediately, while instructing law enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control,
04:23he emphasized the need to ensure the security of public institutions.
04:28President Thinubo said government facilities built with public funds must be safeguarded
04:33from vandalism.
04:35He stressed that self-help has no place in a democratic system, especially after 25 years
04:41of continuous democracy.
04:44According to President Thinubo, the judiciary can settle all political disputes, and the
04:49outcome of this election should be no exception, Bayo Ononuga stated in the press statement.
04:57Former Nigeria President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, had on Saturday, during the election
05:02cautioned against escalation of violence.
05:06He had said, I am aware that the local government election taking place in River State today,
05:12October 5th, has been a subject of great interest to political actors.
05:17The political happenings in River State in the past days is a cause for serious concern
05:22for everyone, especially lovers of democracy and all actors within the peace and security
05:28sector of our nation.
05:31Elections are the cornerstone of democracy because they are the primary source of legitimacy.
05:36This process renews the faith of citizens in their country as it affords them the opportunity
05:41to have a say on who governs them.
05:45Every election is significant, whether at national or sub-national levels, as it counts
05:50as again an honor to democracy.
05:53It is the responsibility of all stakeholders, especially state institutions, to work towards
05:59the promotion of sound democratic culture of which periodic elections stands as a noble
06:05virtue.
06:07Democracy is our collective asset.
06:09Its growth and progress is dependent on government's commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue
06:14the interests of peace and justice at all times.
06:19Members of the state, especially security agencies, must refrain from actions that could
06:24lead to breakdown of law and order.
06:27River State represents the gateway to the Niger Delta and the threat to peace in the
06:32state could have huge security implications in the region.
06:36Let me sound a note of caution to all political actors in this crisis to be circumspect and
06:42patrotic in the pursuit of their political ambition and relevance.
06:46I am calling on the National Judicial Commission, NJC, to take action that will curb the proliferation
06:53of court orders and judgments, especially those of concurrent jurisdiction giving conflicting
06:59orders.
07:00This, if not checked, will ridicule the institution of the judiciary and derail our democracy.
07:07The political situation in River State mirrors our past, the crisis of the old Western region.
07:15I, therefore, warn that rivers should not be used as crystal that will form the block
07:20that will collapse our democracy.
07:23State institutions, especially the police and the judiciary and all other stakeholders
07:28must always work for public interest and promote common goods such as peace, justice and equality.
07:34While the elections were ongoing on Saturday, there was heavy gunfire at Rumupirikum community
07:41in River State, the country home of former Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital
07:46Territory, Nyesomweke.
07:47A source in the area, according to Sahara reporters, said some people had come into
07:54the community and announced that no one should come out for the local government polls.
08:00It was gathered that when the electoral officers were about to arrive at the ward in the Obiu,
08:06a poor local government area, the gunmen arrived in the area as well.
08:11The unidentified gunmen, who arrived in the area with heavy gunfire, scared of people
08:17from coming out to participate in the election.
08:21It was also gathered that one person sustained a bullet injury and had been rushed to a health
08:26facility for treatment.
08:29The state electoral body suspended the declaration of results.
08:33for Eche Local Government Area, LGA, because the collation was said to be ongoing on Sunday.
08:40The RSIEC Chairman, according to Channels Television had said that announcements for
08:46the 319 councilorship seats will be announced alongside that of the Eche Chairmanship position
08:52when collations are concluded.
08:55He described the election as free, fair and credible, despite all odds.
09:02According to him, polls were closed at 3 p.m. and recorded a large turnout of voters.
09:09Anemone saluted the patriotism of the residents who turned out to vote.
09:14The declaration of the results was observed by members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council,
09:19IPAC, Chairman of the state's independent electoral bodies across the country, and members
09:25of the Nigerian Bar Association who acted as observers in the polls.
09:30He said the Commission adopted the principle of bilocation because of the exigencies they
09:36found themselves.
09:38The results were announced at the Ministry of Justice Hall at the State Secretariat Complex,
09:44rather than the Commission's office on Aba Road.
09:47On Election Day, two explosions rocked the state.
09:52Police authorities confirmed that one of the incidents happened earlier on Saturday.
09:57The first explosion was reported at the APC Secretariat on Aba Road at approximately 3
10:03a.m.
10:04A security guard reported hearing a loud bang and, upon investigation, observed three black
10:11Toyota Hilux vans speeding away from the scene, the spokesperson of the Rivers State Police
10:16Command Grace Irenchkoko said, adding that the incidents are being investigated.
10:22The explosion caused significant damage, destroying the gates and shattering the windows
10:27of the building.
10:29Additionally, the security building was set ablaze.
10:33The second explosion occurred at the OBO, Apple Council Secretariat around 3.30 a.m.
10:40Eyewitnesses reported seeing a black Toyota Hilux van and a white Toyota Sienna minivan
10:45drive past the Secretariat.
10:48Gunshots were equally reported in some parts of Port Harcourt, the state's capital.
10:54Some unidentified persons who rode in a black Toyota Corolla were spotted firing gunshots
10:59around the wimpy area of the state which is a stone's throw from the home of the Minister
11:04of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in Yesomweke.
11:09Some members of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, had earlier in the week protested against
11:15the conduct of the election and had stormed the Department of State Security Office and
11:20the Government House both in Port Harcourt to register their demand.
11:24Saturday's declaration of results brings to an end a pulsating run to the local government
11:29election in the oil-rich state.
11:32The election followed the federal government's three-month grace for states to conduct local
11:37government polls.
11:39Ahead of the exercise, police authorities had said they would not provide security for
11:44the election, citing a court order.
11:47The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was also barred by a court order from
11:54presenting the voter register to RSIEC.
11:58That move created ripples in the state, leading to a heightened atmosphere days before the
12:03election.
12:05On the 3rd, Governor Siminalaye Fubara vowed that the poll would hold and storm the RSIEC
12:10office around 1 a.m. on Friday, alleging that police operatives in the state want to thwart
12:16the exercise.
12:17We are prepared, we are prepared, the governor said as he called on the Inspector General
12:24of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to take responsibility for any disruptions.
12:31But the police said their officers were at the RSIEC office to secure the facility.
12:37Conversely, in reaction to credible and actionable intelligence received about plans by Hulong
12:43to carry out an arson attack on the RSIEC office, police personnel were deployed to
12:49secure the premises, the Rivers State Police Command said.
12:53The Rivers State Police Command remained committed to our duty to maintain the peace and ask
12:59residents of Rivers State to act within the confines of the law.
13:03The police will do everything to maintain law and order.
13:07Some of the top parties in the state including Fubara's People's Democratic Party, PDP,
13:13and the All Progressives Congress, APC, did not participate in the election.
13:19You know this election, I am the greatest loser because my party is not participating.
13:25It is the truth, the governor said, on the eve of the election.
13:30The PDP at the national level, however, called on residents of the state to come out for
13:36the poll and exercise their franchise, Channels Television reported.