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2024 Rivers LG Election: Presidential Candidate, Calls for Caution, Peace, Unity
Ayo Ola
A former Presidential candidate of Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Ambassador. Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies has called for caution, peace and unity in Rivers State.
This is in view of the 2024 Local Government election scheduled for Saturday in the state and escalated tension in Port Harcourt.
Adesanya-Davies, who also is the Country President of United-Nations Positive Livelihood Award Center (UN-POLAC) emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, harmony and stability during this critical period in the State.
These were contained in a statement on Friday.
She said: “The 2024 Rivers Local Government election is a crucial democratic exercise for the people of Rivers State, Nigeria. The election will determine leaders at the grassroots level, impacting development and governance.
“Thus, because of ongoing acrimony and unforseen circumstances, the Rivers State Governor, Gov. Siminalayi Fubara has declared Thursday, 3rd October and Friday, 4th October, 2024 as Public Holiday for Rivers Local Government election poll, while civil servants, pupils and students are to stay at home and resumed fully on Monday, 7th October, 2024.
“In Nigeria’s electoral landscape, recent developments have highlighted the need for peaceful and credible elections.”
She added: “These key concerns in include: Choice of Election Date: Agreement on when elections should hold especially where there have been pending cases, disagreement and dissatisfaction.
“Electoral Violence: Past elections have been marred by violence, disrupting the voting process and compromising the safety of citizens.
“Electoral Malpractices: Issues with stealing and snatching of ballots boxes, result transmission, voter disenfranchisement, and manipulation of electoral materials have undermined public trust.
“Post-Election Disputes: Disagreements over election outcomes which have led to social unrest and litigation.”
Adesanya-Davies appeals for caution, peace, and unity.
She said the calk serves as a timely reminder of the importance of prioritizing the collective well-being of Rivers State citizens.
She added that by promoting peaceful coexistence and respect for the electoral process, stakeholders can ensure a free and fair election and the state and that Nigeria can find their peaceful haven.
The statement read further: Governor Fubara emphasized that LGE elections fall within the jurisdiction of the state governments and called on the police chief to respect the state sovereignty. He addresses Press after Police Officers were chased away at RSIEC Office this morning according to the BREAKING NEWS.
“The Governor foils an attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the DC Operation to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1 AM Friday, 4th October 2024.
“At present, the Governor, the Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and State and National Assembly members, alongside other stakeholders, are manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the elections will go on as scheduled.
Earlier, Vanguard News has reported in a breaking news on October 4, 2024 that, the leading political parties in Rivers State, PDP and APC protest Rivers LG elections.
PORT Harcourt— Rivers State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have joined forces to protest the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5 in the state.
In Port Harcourt, the protest, which began at 7:45 a.m., saw members and supporters of both parties converge at the PDP Secretariat close to the popular Leventist Junction.
The protest is against Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s insistence on proceeding with the polls amidst ongoing lawsuits court orders and counter-court orders halting the process.
However, Governor Fubara remained resolute, declaring the election “sacrosanct” during a meeting with the IPAC, at Government House on Wednesday.
While IPAC stated, “Nigerians are united in their desire to foster sustainable democracy and development and will resist any attempt to subvert, truncate, or destabilize our hard-earned democracy. It is time for Nigerians to stand on the side of sustainable democracy.
“Elections are the essence of democracy, particularly at the third tier of government, which is closest to the people. LG elections must be supported and encouraged by all advocates of representative governance in Nigeria. It is time to deepen democracy at the LG level. Therefore, political parties in Nigeria will participate in the Rivers LG elections on Saturday, October 5. It is our civic right.
“For democracy to thrive, there must be a level playing field for all parties and their candidates. We maintain that it is inappropriate to change the rules and goalposts in the middle of the game or take undue advantage of fellow contestants. Electoral integrity cannot be compromised for any reason. Elections cannot be halted by judicial fiat in favour of political actors, jobbers, and hirelings pursuing their ambitions.”
Unfortunately, there have been conflicting court orders for and against the LG elections in the state and forum shopping by desperate politicians.
“The integrity of the judiciary is at stake as the temple of justice and bastion of democracy. The Rivers LG elections present an opportunity for the judiciary to purge itself of political influence and justify the confidence Nigerians have in it.
” IPAC calls on the new CJN and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, NJC, to thoroughly investigate and sanction errant judicial officers. This will go a long way in redeeming the battered image of the judiciary in its handling of political matters, especially elections at all levels.
Above all, the umbrella body of all political parties noted that RSIEC had assured that the elections would be free, fair, credible, transparent, peaceful, and inclusive, stressing that political parties have submitted their nomination forms and complied with guidelines.
