PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has vowed to proceed with the state’s local government elections, scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2024, despite a directive from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to halt the process.
Fubara, in a defiant speech on Friday in Port Harcourt, insisted that the election must go on, even threatening that the IGP would have to order his men to shoot him to stop the poll.
The governor’s remarks came in response to the Rivers State Police Command’s declaration that they would not allow the election to proceed, citing a court order from the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 30.
The court ruling reportedly restrained the police from providing security during the election, prompting the police to assert that they would not participate in overseeing the poll.
Addressing a crowd in the state capital, Fubara accused the IGP of overstepping his authority and undermining the autonomy of Rivers State.
“When it comes to the issue of Rivers State it becomes different, you are not ashamed to call yourself Inspector General of Police,” Fubara said.
“Enough is enough, I will be here, and if I go back and hear anybody complain, I will come here because this is my property. You don’t have any power whatsoever to bar me from entering.”
Fubara emphasised that he was ready to defend the state’s sovereignty, even if it meant risking his life.
“Try it, and part of your history as a wicked IGP would include shooting Fubara,” the governor warned.
“I think that I have given you enough respect and to all Rivers indigenes, elections must hold; anything that wants to happen should happen.”
The Rivers State Police Command, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that it had received the court order and was adhering to legal advice from the Force Legal Department.
“The Command is aware of the 30th September 2024 judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court which barred the Police Force from participating in the election,” the statement read.
“The legal department has advised that the court ruling takes precedence.”
As tensions rise, it remains to be seen how the standoff between the Rivers State Government and the police will unfold, with the scheduled election now hanging in the balance.
Governor Fubara’s strong stance has garnered attention as a significant test of state versus federal authority in the region.
