Governor Simi Fubara has announced two work-free days for citizens to prepare for the local government elections slated for Saturday even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has not officially released the voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Dr Johnson Sinikiem, spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
He said that although they received two requests from RSIEC for the voter register, compliance was hindered by a court order from the Federal High Court, Abuja, forbidding the release.
In a statewide broadcast, Rivers State’s Governor Siminalayi Fubara has declared Thursday, October 3, and Friday, October 4, 2024, as public holidays to allow residents to travel to their communities for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5.
In addition to the public holidays, Governor Fubara also announced a strict restriction on vehicular movement from midnight on Friday, October 4, until 5 p.m. on Election Day, aiming to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process.
A statement by Fubara’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, read: “My dear people of Rivers State, following the expiration of the three-year tenure of the Chairmen and Councilors of the 23 Local Government Councils on June 17, 2023, I lawfully instituted Caretaker Committees to temporarily administer the councils pending the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s conduct of Local Government elections.”
He highlighted a Supreme Court ruling, delivered in July 2024, which outlawed the administration of local government councils by unelected officers and stopped statutory allocations to councils without democratically elected officials.
He confirmed that the electoral body had completed all necessary preparations for the elections, which would take place on October 5, 2024.
“The legal standing of RSIEC to conduct these elections was further solidified by a Rivers State High Court judgement on September 4, 2024, which directed the use of the 2023 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Voters’ Register,” the Governor added.
Fubara emphasized that 17 out of the 18 registered political parties, including the All Progressives Congress, had demonstrated their willingness to participate in the elections by submitting candidates.
“Over 10 states have conducted local government elections using the 2023 INEC Voters’ Register since the Supreme Court’s judgement, and Rivers State cannot be an exception,” he said.
Chairman of RSIEC, Justice Adolphus Enebeli on September 26 during the flag-off of the voters Register at Ward 2 unit 10 in Rumuodara Town Hall Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state, revealed that RSIEC received the voters register from INEC prior to any legal issues arising.
Justice Enebeli stated, “The 6th Commission under my charge we are very proactive. A wise man can never be taken unawares. We are proactive, we follow due process. Even before the cases went to court we have liaised with INEC and the correspondence is there.
“That is it. It is the gift of patience and planning. I’m not a last-minute man. I plan ahead. And so all these things were concluded since last year the correspondences are there.”
However, Sinikiem said though RSIEC had requested the register, INEC had yet to hand over the document, saying the process was still on before it received a communication from the commission’s headquarters about a court order.
He explained that INEC’s tradition is to provide the voters register to RSIEC before local government elections, as mandated by law.
Sinikiem clarified that INEC’s Information Communication Technology Department houses the voter register in soft copy and would typically provide certified photocopies to RSIEC but insisted that no such document has been handed over to the state election umpire.
But reacting to INEC’s denial, the RSIEC Commissioner for Public Affairs and Civic Education, Tamunotonye Tobins said the national electoral umpire cannot deny providing it with the updated voters register for the upcoming council poll.
Tobins further said RSIEC followed due process before obtaining the register for the elections, pointing out that the correspondences between the two electoral bodies are available.
He stated, “Well, that is not true and INEC cannot in good conscience say that because the correspondences between the two bodies are here. We have the documents here.
