By Abiola Olawale
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has officially declared Thursday and Friday as public holidays in anticipation of the forthcoming local government elections on Saturday.
The Governor said the decision is to facilitate the movement of residents to their respective areas of origin.
Fubara also announced restrictions on vehicular movement from midnight on Friday, October 4, to 5 pm on election day.
He made this known during a statewide broadcast from Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said: “On the strength of these positive developments, I directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to take definite steps to conduct local government elections for the 23 local government councils of Rivers State.
“Acting per this directive the RSIEC has since fixed and concluded all arrangements to conduct the local government council elections on Saturday, 5th October 2024.
“The legal impetus of RSIEC to conduct the local government elections was further strengthened by the judgment of the Rivers State High Court in Suit No: PHC/2696/CS/2024 delivered on the 4th of September 2024, which positively directed the Governor of Rivers State, the Government of Rivers State and the RSIEC to conduct the scheduled local government elections on the 5th of October, 2025 using the 2023 Independent National Electoral Commission’s Voters Register already in the custody of RSIEC.
“As of today, RVSIEC has expressed and demonstrated concrete and verifiable capacity and readiness to conduct the 2024 Rivers State Local Government Elections on the 5th of October 2024.
“As of today, 17 out of 18 registered political parties, including the All Progressives Congress, have expressly and actively demonstrated their willingness to participate by filling candidates with RSIEC for the election.
“….To this end, I hereby declare Thursday and Friday, the 3rd and 4th of October 2024 as public holidays for citizens to travel to their communities and participate in the election.
“Furthermore, I hereby place a total restriction on vehicular and human movements into, within, and out of the State, and the Local Government Areas, from midnight of Friday 4th October 2024 to 5.00 p.m. on Saturday 5th October 2024, except for persons and vehicles valid identifications who are on election and other essential duties.
“The police and other security agencies have clear directives from the State’s Security Council to arrest and prosecute any person or group who attempts to violate the restriction on human and vehicular movements on election day.”
The New Diplomat reports that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had scheduled the local government elections for October 5, 2024.
However, a Federal High Court in Abuja barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the RSIEC for the conduct of the proposed upcoming local government elections.
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, held that the RSIEC failed to adhere to relevant laws governing the conduct of an election before setting October 5 as the election date.
Justice Lifu issued the order while delivering judgment on a suit brought before him by the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Rivers State.
He also held that the Rivers State electoral body violated the provisions of the local government election law by failing to publish the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing the election date.
In another ruling, the Federal High Court in Rivers State gave its full judicial nod to the RSIEC to proceed as scheduled with its planned conduct of local government Council election in the State.
The presiding judge, Justice I.P.C. Igwe declared that there’s no going back on the Rivers Local Government election on October 5th as scheduled.
