Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has warned Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun that he will be held accountable if law and order break down in the state.
The warning comes after Fubara intervened in an incident at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) office on Friday morning, where he prevented an alleged attempt by the police to remove materials meant for the upcoming local government elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Friday, Fubara criticised the police for their actions, stating that their duty is to protect lives and property, not to interfere with the operations of the electoral body. He expressed his surprise that the police had initially withdrawn officers guarding the RSIEC premises, only to attempt re-entry with heavily armed personnel.
The governor alleged that the police’s actions were a deliberate effort to disrupt the electoral process by seizing election materials. However, this attempt was thwarted.
“I am saying this here so that the IGP should be aware and just to know that any action that will bring a situation of lawlessness in this state and I think at the end of the day, he should be prepared to take responsibility.
“In the early hours of this morning I got a security report that the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission office had been invaded by the Nigerian Police. I was really surprised because before that time, I got a copy of a signal withdrawing the police officers that were guiding the premises. So, I had to drive to the premises myself since the facility belongs to the Rivers State Government.
“Getting to the scene and to the shock of everyone who escorted me there, I met the presence of some fierce looking policemen in one truck and three other empty vans trying to force their way into the premises. And I had to stop them.
“In the course of that process, we discovered that that movement was a deliberate attempt by the Nigerian Police Force Command, both the Rivers Command and the Headquarter to steal the election materials. But by the special grace of God, that act was foiled,” Fubara narrated.
Fubara questioned why the RSIEC, an institution governed by state law, was being treated differently in Rivers. He also challenged the justification for police actions, particularly in light of a court ruling that instructed the electoral body not to use the voter register or police protection but did not prohibit the elections.
The governor stressed that local government elections fall under the purview of the state government and that no federal authority has the right to dictate how they are conducted.
He assured that any efforts by security agencies to stop the elections would be strongly resisted, reaffirming his commitment to upholding the state’s rights in managing its electoral processes.
“Local government is the affairs of the state government there is no federal institutions can dictate in any form the way and manner our local government system should operate talk less of coming to tell us that we cannot hold election or otherwise.
“So, I have gathered you this morning to inform you that any attempt by anyone or any security agencies to stop this election, we are prepared to make sure that we resist it,” he said.