In the early hours of Friday, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara led a team to the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) headquarters, following reports of an alleged attempt by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force to seize control of the facility ahead of the local government elections scheduled for Saturday.
According to sources, the incident occurred around 1 a.m., with the police reportedly trying to breach the gates and strong room of the commission to allegedly confiscate sensitive electoral materials meant for the upcoming elections.
A video clip circulating online shows policemen attempting to scale through the gates, raising concerns of potential electoral interference. In response, Governor Fubara, accompanied by government officials, federal and state lawmakers, political stakeholders, and other leaders, arrived at the RSIEC office to secure the premises.
Currently, top government officials, including the Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and members of both the State and National Assembly, are stationed at the RSIEC office to ensure the elections proceed as planned. They are closely monitoring the situation to prevent further police intervention, with the officers reportedly arriving in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles.
Attempts to reach the Rivers State Police Command for comment have been unsuccessful as of the time of this report.
