Protests have broken out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, just days before the scheduled Local Government election on October 5, 2024. The demonstration has sparked unrest and led to heavy traffic in the area, forcing security forces to intervene and manage the situation, as reported by Channels Television.

The unrest stems from frustration over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) delay in releasing the 2023 Voters’ Register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). This delay has raised concerns about the transparency and fairness of the upcoming election.

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Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had issued a ruling on September 30, 2024, barring INEC from releasing the voters’ register to RSIEC due to ongoing legal disputes. Despite this setback, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara remains adamant that the election will proceed as scheduled, citing the Supreme Court’s previous ruling that all states must hold elections for democratically elected local government officials.

The governor’s stance has not quelled the growing tensions, with protests highlighting the deep divisions and uncertainty surrounding the Rivers LG poll.