Pro-Wike Supporters Protest Rivers LG Election Amid Controversy

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• Pro-Wike supporters protested in Port Harcourt against the legitimacy of Rivers State local government elections, citing a Federal High Court order to halt the polls.
• Despite the protest and court order, the election proceeded in all 23 local government areas, with voting materials distributed and voting taking place.
• In a related incident, suspected arsonists attacked the APC Secretariat in Port Harcourt, causing significant property damage, with the Rivers Police yet to receive a formal report on the attack.

[/keypoints]

Pro-Wike Supporters Protest Rivers LG Election Amid Controversy

For the second time in less than 48 hours, supporters of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt on Saturday morning, challenging the legitimacy of the ongoing local government elections in Rivers State.

The protest took place around the Polio Club in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), with the demonstrators, primarily youths, asserting that there was no valid council election taking place.

They cited an Abuja Federal High Court judgement, which ordered the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stay away from the polls.

Henry Bobmanuel, one of the protestors, stated, “We are law-abiding citizens, that’s why we are not participating in the elections. We gathered here to tell the world that there’s no local council election in Rivers State.”

Despite the protests, the election proceeded in all 23 local government areas of the state. Election materials were distributed across wards and units, and voting commenced as scheduled.

In a related incident, suspected arsonists targeted the Port Harcourt Aba Road Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) early Saturday, the Daily Trust reports. The attack caused extensive damage, bringing down the gate and destroying doors, windows, and other property.

Reacting to the incident, APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, condemned the attack, describing it as “a reign of terror, horror, and impunity.”

The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she had not yet received a formal report on the attack.