Fubara foils attempt by police to cart away election materials – Official

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has foiled an “attempt” by the police to “cart away” voting material from the headquarters of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) around 1 a.m. on Friday.

The operatives led by a senior police officer in Rivers allegedly attempted to scale the gates and make their way to the strong room of the election commission to take away sensitive election materials meant for Saturday’s local elections in the state

Governor Fubara’s spokesperson, Nelson Chukwudi, made the allegation in a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday morning.

“The evil plots of the rogue policemen and DC Ops were botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers of the commission and relevant government authorities, who immediately informed the governor of the development.

“The Governor immediately led a team of government officials, lawmakers from the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, top political stakeholders, and other leaders to storm the facility,” Mr Chukwudi said in the statement.

The statement said the governor after ensuring that the commission’s office was secure, left behind his chief of staff, the speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, and some state and National Assembly members, among others, to man the facility.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach the police for comments.

There has been tension in Rivers lately, following the opposition by Nyesom Wike and his loyalists to the local elections which could alter the political structure in the state in favour of the governor.

READ ALSO: Rivers Local Elections: What Fubara said about Thursday’s protest in Port Harcourt

Mr Wike, a former governor of Rivers, is the FCT minister. He has been engaged in a protracted fight with Governor Fubara over the control of the political structure in Rivers.